Living and Dying
by SoraIsMyHomeboy
Summary: I could blame that night on a lot of things: fate, stomach flu, sheer bad luck. But all I know is that I saw what I saw...and everything changed.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story that I started quite awhile ago. I worked on it rigorously for nearly five months and it's one of my stories that I'm most proud of. It's realistic fiction, so with that being said, please enjoy!

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><p>It all began on that night. Dark clouds smothered the light of the stars and street lamps cut through the damp air, illuminating small patches of rocky gravel and sidewalk. Other than the street lamps' glow, the streets were pitch black. The air was heavy and sullen like a graveyard's. But nothing that night, <em>nothing<em>, was darker than what happened in that alley. And maybe if I hadn't been walking home alone so late that night, things would have been different…

But I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Kairi Mizu. I'm 17. I live in a small urban area called Kennon City. I don't have a mother and my father is almost never home. I dropped out of high school because it was too stressful, what with the everyday drama, the massive amounts of work, and the lack of any motivation to work hard anyway. I know I probably don't need to tell you that my tale isn't a happy one, because you can most likely guess that from what I've told you so far. And I also know what you're probably thinking right now. Yes, what happened that night was dark and horrifying and I wish I hadn't been there, it did happen in an alley, and yes, it even involved a boy. But I was not attacked and raped, because I bet that's what you were thinking. No, nothing like that. It didn't even start as a bad day, really. Well, I can't say any of my days are particularly _good_, but it was just an ordinary old Wednesday.

I woke up early like usual and went down the stairs of our apartment to the small kitchen. Much to my _un_surprise, Father had already left for work. I opened the fridge and took out the carton of orange juice. I poured myself a small glass for breakfast and sipped it quietly as I gazed out the window at the sleeping city. I glanced down at my watch. 5:35. I still had a few hours before work. Just enough time for a nice walk. I washed my empty cup in the sink and then headed back up to my room to get dressed.

Kennon City isn't very warm. Even on the hottest of days, long sleeves won't kill you. In the morning, the air is particularly brisk and, more often than not, a low thick fog likes to settle itself in before the sun rises. That particular morning, I put on jeans, a purplish pink short-sleeve top, and a grey long-sleeve zip-up sweatshirt. I slipped on my usual purple tennis shoes and stepped outside. The air was actually cool and refreshing. As I inhaled, the familiar sharpness of the frigid sky rejuvenated my lungs. I locked the front door of the apartment and, placing the keys in my pocket, started to stroll through the town.

If you asked me, I would never say I liked Kennon City. But I suppose it's just the people I dislike. In the morning, when I walk through the streets before anyone is awake, before the sidewalks are lined with townsfolk and the shops filled with customers, it's quite an enjoyable place to be. I would venture to say I really like the area. But in its rush hour, Kennon City is the last spot I want to be found. It's noisy, it's crowded, and frankly, the people are rude jerks. I said I was putting it frankly.

So after my morning stroll, I proceeded to walk toward Brian's Grocery. That's where I work. It's really a small grocery store. I know working at the food mart is probably the most boring job you could think of, but I don't exactly have much to occupy my time with and munny is nice too. I know I said I hate the people in this city for the most part, but some of them are OK. Brian is one of those OK people. He's the owner of the store and he's pretty nice. He's only like 22 or something, but he really wanted to start a grocery store of his own for some reason. He really likes food. He's nice too. He isn't all self-centered and wrapped up in his own crap like most people around here. Hey, I'll admit, I mostly worry about myself. But if you don't take care of yourself, then who will? It's a tough world and there's no time to be worrying about how other people are gonna get by. So then why, that very night, did I stop to help that boy?

I had been working my shift when finally, lo and behold, sweet lunch break came. The next employee walked in and took their place at the counter. I was about to start walking home to fix myself a quick sandwich when my cell phone rang. When I picked up, Brian was on the other end.

"Hey, Kairi?"

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Sorry it's such short notice. Samantha just called in sick, she's got a nasty case of stomach flu or something. Would you be able to take the evening shift too? You would just have to come back after Greg's afternoon hours. I'd pay you extra."

"Oh, uh, of course," I replied, reluctant to have to work extra time but realizing I had nothing else to do. Besides, munny makes the worlds go round.

"Thanks so much, Kairi!" Brian said. "I'll see you on Friday with your paycheck!"

"Ok, bye Brian." I hung up. Sighing, I headed out of the store and went home. I made a turkey sandwich, then plopped down on the couch and flipped the TV on. There was nothing good on, really. The news, random history crap, lame soap operas. After channel surfing for nearly half an hour, I gave up and turned the TV off. Lying down on the couch, I settled in for a quick nap. When I woke up, I had slept longer than expected. It was nearly 5:00 already. I had to be at the shop in fifteen minutes! I sprung from my comfy place on the couch and dashed out the door.

After a busy evening at Brian's Grocery, the sun was starting to set in the west and the whole city was shutting down for the night. After all our customers had left and closing hours officially arrived, it was already dark out. I had never closed up shop before. I turned the lights off and locked the door to the building. I began to walk home, already feeling a sense of unrest in the air. It was overwhelmingly dark out. I snorted as I recalled Brian's words. _Evening shift_. I hardly call 5:15-9:30 an evening shift. Plus, there are always those people who linger around and hold up everything. I didn't really close the store and leave until nearly ten o' clock. Who grocery shops that late anyway? C'mon. Well, whatever, it can't be helped. As I was saying, I was walking home alone at night under a darkened, stormy sky. I was almost back to our apartment-like house when I heard a loud noise. It was like a bang, a loud thunk against the side of something metal. A dumpster maybe? The noise came from an alleyway. I froze in place. Without daring to look around the corner, I listened carefully. There was a quiet but gruff voice, one that sounded like it was angry but trying to keep anyone from hearing.

"You didn't get it?" There was no reply. Then came another smash against what I was sure now was a dumpster. "I feed you and your little brat sister and you can't even steal one measly, little diamond?"

Now a timid girl's voice spoke. "We tried really hard, Ronin. We did. There was guards everywhere!"

"Shut up," the first voice bluntly ordered. "You and your brother would be begging on the streets for bread if it weren't for me. I oughta make you anyway. You don't do anything for us. You're just in the way. If it weren't for you, he probably would've gotten that diamond today-!"

"Leave her out of this," a second male voice suddenly spoke up. I wanted to get out of there, to run and not hear anymore and forget I had even come by there that night. But I couldn't leave. They might have heard me. I couldn't let them know someone had been listening in.

"Well, well, well," the first voice spoke again. "Look at big brother finally fighting back." There was a loud smack, a muffled grunt of pain, and a worried cry from the girl. "Roxas!"

"Shut up!" the first male hissed again. There were a few footsteps and the girl whimpered in fear.

"Leave her alone!" the second male's voice yelled. Then there was a commotion. All I could make out was a rapid shuffling of footsteps, then a series of loud buffets. I cringed as the noise of a body hitting the ground sounded. "You better bring me something of value soon or I'll make hunger the least of your worries," the first low voice warned. The girl broke into a soft cry. I felt tears of absolute horror well in my own eyes. Immediately, there were footsteps heading out of the alley. My terrified heart smashed against my ribcage as if it were trying to break out and run away. I frantically leapt up and ducked behind a garbage can, holding my breath for fear it was loud enough to be heard miles away.

A tall muscular man with a long, dark ponytail walked out of the alleyway. He had a cigarette sticking out of the side of his mouth and he looked like he was in his late twenties. He turned away from my hiding spot and started walking off in the other direction. Once he was out of sight, I slowly rose out from behind the trash can and passed in front of the entrance to the alley, heading toward home. Fear still gripped at my heart. _Keep looking straight ahead, keep looking straight ahead,_ I instructed myself. But as I walked in front of the alleyway, I heard the girl's quiet sobbing and stopped. _Keep looking straight ahead. Keep looking straight ahead._ I wanted to keep walking, but I couldn't do it. Slowly and terrified of what I would find, I turned my head and looked into the darkness. There I saw the girl, hunched over, crying into her hands. She wore a plain white dress and she had soft, gentle blonde hair. I still, to this day, don't know what made me do it, but I began to walk slowly into the alley toward the girl. When she heard footsteps coming, she whipped around in fear, gazing up at me with tear-streaked eyes. A wave of sorrow cascaded over my heart. Then I glanced at the ground next to her and that's when my stomach flopped.

There, on the ground, was a body. I could only faintly make it out in the darkness, but it looked like a boy my age with spiked blonde hair. He had a white T-shirt and baggy brown pants on. His eyes were closed and a thick ooze of blood ran down his face, from his nose to a pool on his shirt. I held back vomit as my heart started picking up its pace again. The little girl looked up at me with the most pleading, innocent blue eyes I've ever seen. "You have to help my brother."

I stared at her for at least three seconds, not sure what I should do. I uneasily looked back at the boy on the ground, then back at the child. Knowing it was too late to just walk away, I stooped over and, taking one of the boy's hands, dragged his arm over my shoulder. I awkwardly hoisted him up, trying to support his weight. I grimaced and swallowed hard as the smell of blood wafted toward me. His eyes slowly opened halfway, but his body still hung weakly. I began to walk forward, dragging him more than anything else. He was heavy and he certainly wasn't holding himself up. His eyes gradually fell shut again. His little sister scurried up beside him, holding his limp hand the whole way home.

Once we finally got to my house and I struggled to unlock the door and keep the girl's brother up at the same time, I dragged him over to a wall and propped him sitting up against it. I praised the worlds that Father wasn't coming home tonight as I walked into my room and started looking through my drawers. I finally found an old black T-shirt of mine that I never wore anymore. I grabbed it and then took a blanket from my bed and went back out to the living room. I walked over to where the blonde boy was sitting by the wall, his sister right next to him. To my surprise, he had regained consciousness. He looked wearily up at me, seeming confused but too exhausted to care.

"Oh, um, you're up," I noted. "Here." I held the T-shirt out to him. He took it without showing any emotion at all. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a washcloth and bowl while he changed into the new, clean shirt. I filled the bowl with hot water, then carried it out into the living room. "Here," I said. "You might wanna clean up." I dipped the rag into the soothing water, then wrung it out and gave it to the boy. "Roxas, right?" I asked, remembering the girl yell his name in the alley. He didn't answer as he began to wipe the blood from his face. I gingerly picked up the bloody shirt from the ground and walked over to the trash. "I don't think this is gonna wash out…" I explained, dropping it in the bin.

"That's Roxas," the blonde girl answered for her older brother. "He takes good care of me. I'm Naminé."

"Well, nice to meet you, Naminé. I'm Kairi," I smiled, trying to seem genuinely happy, despite the dire circumstances. I spread the blanket out on the couch. "We don't have any extra beds. I'm sorry. I hope this will do." Roxas pulled himself up onto his feet and walked over. Then he looked over at me with his deep, pained eyes.

"Thanks."

Then he weakly laid down as Naminé scurried in beside him, snuggling up into her brother's protective arms. They were both asleep within seconds. I sighed as I picked up the bowl and stained washcloth and went to the sink to clean up. What had I gotten myself into?

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><p>Please leave reviews with constructive criticism or general thoughtsfeelings! Much appreciated! Thanks for reading :) (More to come soon!)


	2. Chapter 2

Here we have Chapter 2! I forgot to mention that this story is AU, so sorry about that. Also...I don't own Kingdom Hearts' characters.

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><p>I got up at my usual early hour to fix breakfast. Roxas and Naminé were still curled up on the couch, fast asleep. I didn't expect them to be awake. In fact, I wouldn't really be surprised if Roxas slept all day. Naminé might too. Who knows? I crept into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I smiled as I took out a full carton of eggs. Perfect. I didn't even know we had those.<p>

I got out a pan and turned the stove on. While it heated up, I popped two pieces of bread into the toaster. In a few minutes, I had some eggs frying and a delicious smell filled the house. Just then, I heard soft footsteps behind me. I whipped around with a start. Naminé stood by the table, watching me with those big eyes.

"Oh, good morning, Naminé," I greeted, turning back to the stove to check on the eggs. "Are you hungry?" Immediately upon asking it, I felt horrible. Of course they were hungry. Last night's words echoed through my head. _I'll make hunger the least of your worries._ I quickly tried to change the subject. "Well, I hope you like eggs. There's some toast in the toaster too." I reached up and opened the cupboard, grabbing two plates. I turned to go set them on the table, but jumped in surprise. Roxas was now awake too. I hadn't even heard him come in.

I walked over and set the plates down on the table in front of the two chairs closest to the brother and sister. I grabbed the toast and set one at either spot, then proceeded to dish up the eggs. Naminé's eyes lit up like a kid who had just been given a giant, swirly lollipop. She nervously glanced up at Roxas as if asking permission to eat and then happily leapt into a chair and began devouring the meal. Roxas hesitantly sat down and began to shovel the food into his mouth too.

After a moment, the teen glanced up at me. "What about you?" he wondered. I reached into the fridge and got the orange juice out. I poured myself a glass as I replied, "I'm not really a breakfast person." He slowly began to eat again. Naminé was practically finished already. I took the pan from the stove over to the sink to wash it. Naminé shyly carried her empty plate and silverware over to me and set them on the counter, then quickly scuffled back to her chair. I smiled at her bashfulness and began washing her dishes. The little girl scampered off into the living room while Roxas walked over with his plate and silverware. Without a word, he handed them to me. I smiled over at him, trying to seem as friendly as I could, but quickly had to look away. His face was bruised all over, splotches of purple and black painted across it. My mind immediately flashed to last night, the sound of the beatings and the blood. And his eyes, there was something about his eyes. Every time I dared myself to hold his gaze, I couldn't do it. I felt somehow guilty when I looked into them, like he could see all the wrong I had ever done.

I focused on the sink, stared at the water that rushed across the surface of the plate. Still, out of the corner of my eye, I could see he was still standing there. I tried to ignore it and keep working, but I could feel him watching me and the air was growing tenser every second. When he finally spoke, it was so unexpected that I jumped in shock. "Why are you helping us out like this?"

My heart gave a jolt but I managed to keep my expression from changing much. However, I was at a loss for words. Like I said, I don't really know what made me do it.

"Well, a little help can go a long way," was all I came up with, which was completing missing the 'why' part of the question. He seemed to ponder this for a moment. I turned the water off after I finished washing the last of the dishes and an awkward silence filled the room. Just then, Naminé burst in, holding a handful of dolls. "Look what Kairi has!" she exclaimed, beaming with excitement. I wanted to drop dead. I felt heat rush to my face, as I was no doubt blushing at this point. I ran over and grabbed the old dolls from her.

"I, um, don't know where these came from," I stuttered, quickly shoving them off in a corner. Actually, I did know exactly where they came from. They were dolls I played with when I was little that I had shoved in my closet and hadn't touched in years. Naminé giggled and clung to Roxas' leg. His mouth slowly crept upward into a smirk as he clearly tried to hide his own amusement. It was the first time I saw him smile. I felt myself slowly break into a grin too. Just out of curiosity, I glanced down at my watch.

"Oh shoot, I have to go!" I exclaimed, heading for the door. "Um, will you guys be OK until I get back? I just have to work until noon." They both stared at me with blank expressions.

"You…you mean we can stay?" mumbled Naminé.

"Of course…" I frowned. Naminé looked up to her brother with a spark of hope in her eyes. The blonde boy looked at me with eyes of gratitude. He didn't need to say the words "thank you". I could see them. Then I felt uncomfortable again and turned away, stepping outside into the city.

The day passed slowly. Business was lousy. Almost no customers came in. Plus, Roxas and Naminé were always on the back of my mind. For some reason, I couldn't help worrying about them. When noon finally came, I left right away and walked quickly toward the apartment. When I got inside, it was absolutely silent. I listened closely, but still, I heard nothing. _They must __be asleep_, I told myself, but I knew I was wrong. There was no one on the couch. "Roxas?" I called. "Naminé?" No reply. My breathing started to hasten. "Naminé? Are you in here?" Where were they? I prayed something hadn't happened to them. "Guys, I'm home!"

At that point, I heard a thumping stride as Naminé galloped down the steps. "Hi, Kairi!" she cheered. "I found more of your fun toys!" She was holding two plastic horses. I inwardly sighed. I'm gonna need a lock on my closet. I walked over to the blonde child and squatted down next to her. "How was your day, Naminé?"

"Good," she smiled, looking down shyly again. I smiled too, but it quickly became a frown. "Where's Roxas?" I wondered. Naminé looked back up at me. "He went to look for shiny stuff," she explained. "For Ronin. He likes shiny stuff. If we bring him enough, he gives us food." I swallowed hard. I didn't really wanna know any of this and Roxas probably wouldn't want her telling people about it anyway.

"And he left you here alone?" I continued.

Naminé nodded. "He said he wouldn't be gone long. And all the doors are locked. And he said I should hide if something happened." I was about to ask where he had gone and when he left, but that's when realization slapped me across the face.

"Wait a minute, your brother is looking for shiny stuff?" I yelled. "As in, stealing it?" I guess, in the back of my mind, it was obvious that they had no other way to get by. But actually putting it into words made me realize that this was illegal stuff. I suddenly became very angry, but I couldn't bring myself to direct it at Roxas. After all, Ronin was the one who was forcing them to take stuff in the first place. Then another thought struck me.

"Naminé, why don't you and your brother just steal food? Isn't it kinda pointless to take more valuable stuff and then trade it in to Ronin?" I asked. If Brian were there, he would've slapped me. Naminé tucked the horses in closer to her body. Her voice suddenly became very quiet, even softer than usual.

"We can't run away from him. He would hurt us if we stopped stealing for him."

My heart suddenly clenched up. I was overwhelmed with a grief I had never felt before. It seemed like my perspective on the whole world had just flipped upside down. There was something dark and horrifying in their past that I couldn't see, but I could feel it. In that moment, I wanted to scoop them both up and run away to the other side of the universe and keep them safe forever. I wanted to give them the love and care that I knew they had never experienced. In that moment, I promised myself I would protect them, no matter what the cost.

I walked over to the kitchen and started to get out a pan, the bread, and some cheese. "You want some lunch?" I asked. "How does a grilled cheese sandwich sound?" When there was no answer, I turned around to make sure Naminé hadn't scampered off again. She was staring up at me quizzically as if she was confused about something.

"Didn't we already eat today?" she asked. I stared at her for a moment, unsure what to say, then quickly turned back to the stove to start cooking so she wouldn't see the tears rolling down my cheeks.

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><p>Please tell me what you thought! Love it, hate it, have issues with it?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Roxas came back that afternoon. Evening turned out to present itself with a problem I had forgotten about: My father. There was quite a commotion when he pulled in. I had completely forgotten he would be home that night and I had to get Roxas and Naminé hidden as fast as I could. They piled under my bed until he was holed up in his room, typing away on the computer. Then I snuck back and forth between the kitchen and my room, smuggling little bits of dinner to my new companions. Luckily, Father is oblivious (or more like apathetic) to anything I'm doing, so I wasn't really worried about rousing suspicion. As far as sleeping arrangements, Roxas and Naminé were content just flopping out on a mass of blankets I threw on my floor. Father never ever comes into my room, so they were safe for the night. When morning came, he left at the crack of dawn as usual and the house was free territory to roam again. I made sure to fix breakfast again before I left. They already seemed to be getting stronger, especially Roxas. He was still so quiet, though.

I sat at the checkout counter of Brian's Grocery all morning, fidgeting with some jars sitting in front of me. It was a slow day, not much to do. I glanced upward at one point at the few people who were actually browsing the store. I nearly fell out of my seat. One customer was shoplifting. I clearly saw him slip a bag of dried fruit into his back pocket. But that wasn't what surprised me so much. It was _who_ it was that made me stop dead. That was the man from the alley two nights ago, Ronin, the one who had hurt Roxas.

He glanced around and then headed for the exit to the store. Not only was I in shock, but I also wouldn't want to say anything to him even if I could. If Roxas got beat up for _not_ stealing something, I didn't wanna know what he would do if I caught _him_ stealing. He casually left like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just stolen, like he hadn't just hurt an innocent person a few nights ago because they had refused to do something illegal. As soon as I got over the surprise, anger set in. He was just walking around like he owned the place, like he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it! No sir, not in _my_ town you don't! Impulse took over. I stormed outside, following my victim.

When I was out of the store, I spotted him walking up the street along the sidewalk. I casually strolled behind him, keeping a safe distance. I had no idea what I was going to do once I actually caught up with him, but at the time, I wasn't thinking straight. I followed him for quite awhile, until I was in a sector of town that I didn't recognize. There were almost no apartments or houses anymore. In fact, there were very few buildings period. By then, I had forgotten why I was even pursuing him, but something made me want to know where he was going. I watched curiously as he stopped in front of an old, run-down-looking bar. As he turned toward the entrance, I ducked around the other side of the building to avoid being seen. Quietly, I snuck around the back where there were a few dirty windows that could mostly be seen through. I peered in. Ronin had seated himself at the bar counter with a few other tall, buff-looking men. He lit a cigarette while the other men ordered drinks. I could faintly hear their voices through the glass as they laughed and joked with each other. I guess I snapped out of my weird trance thing at this point because I suddenly realized I had just left the shop unattended…

I was just about to bolt back toward town when the door to the bar opened again and someone else walked in. I stared in disbelief. It was Roxas. What was he doing there? I pressed my face close to the glass again and strained to hear what was being said.

"Well, look who it is!" the short-haired man on Ronin's left called in a mocking tone. "Roxas Hakumei! Long time, no see!" Roxas walked up to Ronin, who had swiveled around in his stool to face the teen. The blonde reached into his pocket and produced a large, glistening gem. My eyes widened. That was the diamond from the museum right over by my house! That was the diamond they had been talking about in the alleyway?

"Well, took ya long enough," Ronin smirked. "You're a few days late though. So…food is cut short a little. Try a little harder next time." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bag of fruit he had stolen earlier. He casually tossed it as if disposing of it on the floor, but Roxas' hand snapped out and grabbed it before it fell. He glared slightly at the man before slipping the packet into his own back pocket.

Hey! Those were _MY _dried apricots! He just gave them away like he had grown 'em himself! This guy was _really_ starting to piss me off.

"Alright, Roxas," Ronin continued, "You wanna make it up to me? There's that little jewelry shop over on Westburg. You snag those necklaces for me, the ones that are pure gold, and I'll let this whole thing slide. OK? Deal?"

Roxas hung his head, reluctant to accept but knowing he had no other choice. "Deal," he muttered.

"Hey, cheer up!" the guy on the right leaned over and slapped a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "It coulda been a lot worse! You're lucky!" They all laughed as if some kind of joke had just been made. I didn't get it. Roxas shrugged away from the arm around him and quickly walked out of the bar. Why didn't the other guys in Ronin's "gang" have to do anything? That's what I wanted to know.

Once Roxas was outside, I ran around to the front of the building and confronted him. "What on earth are you doing here?" I demanded. He jumped in complete surprise, then promptly grabbed my arm and pulled me back into hiding on the side of the building as we both crouched down in the shadows. "I should ask you the same thing!" he hissed. He seemed angry and I felt like I was being attacked, so I was going to snap back at him, but then I stopped short. My answer would sound so stupid. I was following a guy here because he stole fruit from the grocery store. How could that be my answer to a boy who was fighting just to keep himself and his sister alive? I couldn't say it. But was that really the only reason I had come here? Or was it that I wanted to know what was going on? I looked down at the ground in shame.

"I don't know," I mumbled.

Roxas continued with the questions. "How did you even find this place anyway?"

"I followed Ronin here," I confessed. Roxas' face went pale when I said that.

"He didn't see you, did he?" the teen demanded with a new sense of urgency in his voice, fearful eyes locked with mine.

"Uh…I-I don't think so…" I answered, not understanding why he was so worried all of a sudden. He held my gaze, even though I wanted to look away. He had a stern expression on his face.

"He can _never_ know that you're taking care of us," Roxas stated.

"Uh, ok…" I nodded, still confused why this was such a big deal. "But I can get you guys food and stuff, I mean, you don't have to steal anymore-"

"No," Roxas quickly cut me off. "I still have to get Ronin what he wants as long as I'm in his debt…And he can never know that I don't need him anymore."

I was taken aback by this, suddenly understanding that there was much more to all of this than just survival. "Roxas, I'll take care of you now, both of you. I promise. He just hurts you. I wanna help you," I explained, not feeling comfortable enough to ask about everything else.

"You wanna help?" Roxas asked. "Then stay away. Don't get involved any more than you already have."

"But-"

Before I could protest, he cut me off. "If Ronin finds out you're helping us, he will kill you." I clenched my teeth and didn't say another word. I could tell by the way he said it that he was completely serious. We both fell silent for what felt like an eternity. At last, Roxas rose and looked off into the distance. "Let's go before someone sees you."

I stood up and we both started back toward the main part of town. Neither of us said anything the rest of the way. As we neared my house, police and a crowd of people were flocked around the museum. The disappearance of the diamond had been discovered. Roxas had been gazing at the sidewalk the whole way home and didn't even look up as we passed the commotion. I glanced over at the mass of people and then went back to staring ahead, not bringing it up at all. A phone call came later that evening. I was fired. I had left the shop completely unattended without good reason and had allowed countless robberies in my absence. Brian was really upset. Today was just not a good day. The only consolation: I got the apricots back.

Somehow, it didn't make me feel any better.

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><p>Well, how is it so far? Is it keeping your interest? Do you like it? Hate it? Please let me know! All comments are welcome!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up with a groan and glanced over the side of my bed. Roxas was still sound asleep on my floor with Naminé curled up beside him. I cautiously crept across my room so I wouldn't wake them and headed downstairs. My father was also snoozing away. On weekends, he always stayed in bed until the afternoon and then mostly just sat around at his desk all day. That was fine with me. It would be much easier to keep Roxas and Naminé a secret that way. I told them last night that they had to be especially quiet today and tomorrow. I wouldn't be around to quiet Naminé down if she forgot, but I got the sense she was quiet in almost everything she did anyway. I gulped down the last of the orange juice as I threw a jacket on. _Guess I gotta run to the store for more, _I thought to myself. Which was fine, because that's where I was going anyway.

The small bell over the door of Brian's Grocery jingled as I stepped in. Brian, who worked the shop on weekends, stood behind the counter. When he looked up and saw who had just walked into the store, he was more than a little surprised. I smiled nervously and walked over to my former boss.

"Um, look, I wanna apologize about yesterday," I started. "I don't know what I was thinking and no excuse I come up with will cover my mistake anyway…"

"You up and left!" Brian exclaimed. "For over an hour!"

"I know," I sighed. "It was really stupid. But please, just give me another chance. I promise it won't happen again and I really need this job!" I had had to start buying some food myself to avoid suspicion from my father when it rapidly started disappearing. Brian exhaled loudly and looked up at the ceiling, considering it.

Finally he replied, "Alright, I guess I was pretty harsh yesterday. I was just angry, that's all. But _don't_ let it happen again!"

"I won't! I promise!" I stated firmly, determined not to let him down. "Thank you soooo much!" I started to head for the exit.

"Yeah…no problem," Brian shook his head. "Kids…"

I stepped out into the fresh crisp air, a new sense of determination in me. I got my job back! I was so relieved. And I was not going to worry about Naminé or Roxas while I worked either. Those problems would not get in the way again. That's what I thought at the time anyway. Right at that moment, I heard police sirens wailing through the streets. I glanced in the direction of the noise to see a boy barreling down the sidewalk, two cop cars close behind on the road, pursuing him. I'll give you one guess as to who that boy was. Yup. You got it.

"Roxas?" I stared dumbly as he shot through crowds of people on the sidewalk, pushing through them frantically. The police cars were catching up. As he approached me, I was still standing there in a dazed stupor. He fired past me and lurched around a corner into an alleyway. The cops skidded to an immediate halt. "Don't let him get away!" one yelled as he leapt out of the car. The other cop in the second car followed suit, jumping out of his seat and running after Roxas into the alley. By this point, Roxas had scaled the building by climbing the ladders and grated balconies up the side of it. Now on the roof, he continued his escape, leaping the short distance between each structure. As the one policeman started to follow him by beginning to climb the ladder, the other ran alongside the buildings on the ground, keeping pace with Roxas. I knew I had to help him, because if he got caught and arrested, everything would turn upside-down.

I quickly glanced around, looking for a way to catch up to them. I ran and slipped into another alleyway that led all the way through to the next street over. I had gotten ahead of them now. Neither Roxas nor the cops had come around the corner yet. I waited for a moment. Roxas burst out from behind a building. He must have climbed down another balcony there. He began to run again when he spotted me waving him over. He sprinted toward me and then I turned and hightailed it down the street with him. The police came around the bend onto this street now and continued to pursue us, though they did hesitate a bit when they found they were chasing two people now. We were far enough ahead that we could lose them. I grabbed Roxas' arm and pulled him through yet another alleyway, cutting through a shopping mall and coming out on a completely different street. Then I proceeded to lead us straight out of town in the direction Ronin had gone the day I followed him. I doubted the policemen were still tailing us. I gave them a pretty wacky trail to follow.

Once we were clear of all city buildings, I interrogated Roxas. "What was that all about?"

"Necklaces," Roxas panted, still catching his breath. "A few that I stole from a jewelry store. Ronin told me to get them. Usually I can steal stuff without anyone noticing, but I wasn't careful enough this time. I had to run for it."

"If you had gotten caught, I wouldn't know what to do! Naminé would be devastated," I said, concerned.

"At least you would be there to take care of her," Roxas muttered. "And to help me escape, of course. If that had happened even just a week ago, I don't know what I'd do."

I didn't know what else to say so we walked in silence for awhile. Eventually, we came to the old run-down dive that Ronin and his gang hung out in. We stopped near the entrance. "I gotta go in there alone," Roxas explained. "I don't want Ronin to see you." I still didn't understand why it was such a big deal if he knew I was helping Naminé and Roxas along. But he seemed pretty serious about it so I didn't argue.

"I'll head back to the house," I told him. "I don't want Naminé to get worried. She shouldn't be home alone too long."

"Right," Roxas nodded. He turned to enter the tavern when Ronin and his two peers from the day before came up behind us.

"What's this about Naminé being _home_?" smirked Ronin, leading the gang while the other two guys flanked him on either side. "Did you get a girlfriend, Roxas?" They all snickered. I gulped and glanced at Roxas for help, unsure what I should say to keep our secret. He kept Ronin's steady glare with a calm face but I could see underlying resentment in his eyes.

"She's just a friend. And she was just leaving," Roxas offered, suggesting that I take my leave of absence. Before I could slip away, they stepped in front of my path, barring my escape.

"A friend?" Ronin asked skeptically, glowering down at me but still addressing Roxas. The boy quickly stepped in between us protectively, glaring up at the gang leader.

"Yes," he declared firmly. "_And she was just leaving_."

"Where did you meet her?" Ronin continued to question, ignoring Roxas completely. Roxas hesitated, trying to come up with an answer. I assisted him.

"In the jewelry store," I fibbed. "He stole the same necklaces I was planning on taking. They're really pretty, but…so expensive. He got to them first though."

Ronin turned to Roxas. "So you did get them?" Roxas reached into his pocket and took out the golden jewelry. He handed the necklaces to the man. Ronin smirked and tucked them into his own pocket on the front of his leather jacket. I sighed in relief to myself. Not only had I covered for us, but I had provided a story that changed the subject and took everyone's minds off of the previous matters.

"Not bad, Roxas," added Ronin, that smug smirk on his face the whole time. "Keep it up." With that, he reached into his other pocket and pulled out a box of crackers. As he gave it to Roxas, I wondered if that was from Brian's Grocery too, or if he stole food from all over. After a moment, Roxas turned to leave, casually shooting me a glance to signal that we were going. I slipped around the menacing guys and trotted next to him, taking care not to look back. I was relieved when we were finally out of sight of the old bar.

Back in town, we made sure we wouldn't get noticed by any cops as we headed home. I was particularly paranoid and kept getting the feeling we were being followed or watched or something. Roxas seemed calm, however, so I tried my best to ignore it. When we arrived at the apartment, I took out my keys to open the front door, but Roxas immediately snuck around the side. Confused, I followed him to find that he was climbing up to the window. I sighed. "Sorry. I forgot my dad was home."

"It's OK," Roxas shrugged, slipping up into my room on the second floor. I went back around to the front door and walked in. When I got up to my room, Naminé unlatched herself from her brother and greeted me joyously with a hug. I nearly fell over.

"I missed you, Kairi!" she whispered. I smiled and hugged her back.

"Missed you too," I whispered as she let go and slid back down to the floor. "So, you guys want lunch?" I knew we probably didn't have to whisper because, in all likeliness, Father was still asleep and when he was out cold, nothing could wake him. Not even the apocalypse. It couldn't hurt though. Before they even answered, I began to walk downstairs to the kitchen. It wasn't until then that a huge thought struck me.

How long were Roxas and Naminé going to be here? I couldn't just throw them back out on the street. But then...would I be taking care of them their whole life? I supposed Roxas could get a job of his own eventually. Or could he? Did he have a real I.D.? Or a history of thievery that would prevent businesses from hiring him? Had he ever actually been caught? I began to fear that maybe there wasn't really a way for them to get back on their feet. I swore to do what I could, but…how much could I really do? Questions about the future began to haunt me. I quickly shook them from my head, telling myself that there was no use worrying about that stuff right now. I quickly put the sandwiches I just made onto plates and carried them upstairs to my room.

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><p>Well, how's the story so far? Let me know! Thanks to R o x a s L u v s C o o k i e s, Ultimate Black Ace, and MysteriousGuy898 for reviewing! The support is appreciated!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Here be chapter 5! Hope you enjoy! (It's a good one X))

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><p>It was Monday morning. I walked quietly to work, taking in the sweet, cold air. Despite the crispness on the wind that I usually enjoyed, I hardly even noticed it now. I had serious matters on my mind. Yesterday morning, I had woken up early and decided to take a walk. I just needed to get away from everything for awhile. While I was out, I had stopped in Brian's Grocery-which opens early on weekends- to grab some juice since we were out of it back home. As I walked out of the store, Ronin had approached me. I had frozen in shock.<p>

"Hey there, _friend_ of Roxas," he began.

"H-hi," I had managed to stammer, afraid of why he was talking to me.

"Don't think for one second that I bought your little lie yesterday," he had continued. "I followed you and that bum to your house once you left."

My heart shuddered. He had followed us home! I knew we were being followed! I had _felt_ it! Fear had begun to overtake my senses at that point as he kept talking.

"Look, those two don't need your help. They bring me what I want, I give them what they need. They don't need some hotshot city girl to take them in. They belong with us. So do yourself a favor, ok? Don't get involved."

Then he had pulled a cigarette pack out of his pocket as I tried to sort through everything. As I gulped and turned to walk away, he had lit one of them and leaned against the building wall closest to him. Mind racing, I headed straight for home.

Now, as I reached the grocery store, I worried about yesterday's happenings. I hadn't told Roxas because he would have been upset and troubled over it and I didn't want him to worry. I also didn't want him to leave. If he found out, he'd probably go back to living on the streets to protect me and I couldn't let that happen. I sighed as I walked into the store and took my place behind the counter. Soon, customers streamed through and I got to work, trying to forget everything on my mind.

Toward the end of my shift, some unexpected customers walked through the door. "Roxas? Naminé?" I was puzzled. "What are you two doing here?"

"Hi, Kairi!" Naminé called excitedly, running over to greet me.

"Your dad came home so we had to get out of there," Roxas explained quietly to me so no one else would hear.

"Oh," I swallowed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know he would be home today."

"It's fine," Roxas shook his head. "We just figured this would be a good place to come. Naminé wanted to say hi anyway."

"Of course," I smiled, glancing over at the small child who was talking happily to herself. "Well, I'll be finished up here in a little while and then we can go somewhere to pass the day. There's this little playground a little ways away from here. Naminé would enjoy that, I'm sure."

"Alright," Roxas nodded. He and Naminé spent the next half hour hanging out in the store. Then we got ready to leave as the next employee came in to take my spot. We had just walked out of the store and turned when a voice came from behind us.

"Still hanging out with that guardian of yours, Hakumei?"

We all froze. Roxas and I exchanged quick glances, knowing exactly who it was. He slowly turned to face Ronin, keeping that same, straight face. He remained silent, but I could see how tense he was, like he was ready to bolt away at any moment. Ronin and his two gang member friends were walking up the street and came to a stop when they were mere feet away from us. To my shock, Ronin looked from Roxas straight to _me._

"I told you to stay away."

Roxas shot me a sideways glance, unaware of the conversation Ronin and I had had yesterday. I opened my mouth to say something back, but couldn't find any words that would help. The two guys who were with Ronin cracked their knuckles. Ronin leaned in closer to Roxas now and repeated, "I told her to stay away." Roxas matched his gaze unwavering for a few moments, then suddenly whipped around, scooped up Naminé in his arms, and grabbed my hand, taking off running.

Ronin jerked up in surprise before taking off after us. "Get them!" he yelled. His two cronies raced after us too. Roxas ran like a cheetah and I struggled to keep up as he practically dragged me by one arm through the streets. I knew I was slowing him down but I couldn't go any faster. I was actually pretty athletic, but Roxas was crazy. Even with Naminé's added weight in his arms, he continued to speed up as he sprinted through town. Even so, Ronin's gang was still close behind. Sensing that I was falling behind, Roxas jerked me forward, pulling me up onto his back so I was riding piggy-back style. He shifted Naminé to both arms then, doing all of this without even breaking his stride.

We reached an overpass on the road, getting to the busier parts of town now. Ronin dashed after us, reaching under his billowy shirt to his belt where a gun was hidden from sight. Grabbing the pistol, he continued to run after us as he aimed. Glancing back, I saw the weapon glint in the sunlight as he readied to pull the trigger. "Roxas!" I yelled, gripping tighter to his neck. He quickly jumped onto the side rail and leapt. My eyes were squinted shut but I heard the gun go off as the bullet whizzed behind us. Roxas held Naminé close with one arm as he reached out and grabbed the streetlamp above the road below with the other. Naminé screamed and I held on for my life as we dangled there. I could hear Roxas' rough breathing as he frantically stared downward, wondering what to do next. There was a click as Ronin cocked his pistol again. Roxas whipped his head around to see the gun aimed right at us. Or more accurately, right at _me_.

Roxas let go. The gun went off. Naminé and I both screamed now and I clung to Roxas as we plummeted toward the sidewalk. Roxas gripped Naminé with all his life and tried to land on his feet but the force caused him to immediately topple over. I scraped up my entire right arm but other than that, everyone seemed to be OK. Ronin glared down at us before he and his crew ran for the hill on the other side of the overpass to get down to us. Roxas took a few deep breaths before picking up Naminé and grabbing my hand again to take off running.

We dashed alongside the street for awhile until we came to another smaller sector of town. We ran through the streets, weaving through block after block, with Ronin's gang still behind this. Didn't these guys ever quit? One of the men broke away from the group, heading off down another street. Roxas continued running and I followed, managing to keep up now. It seemed like we had gotten ahead of Ronin, maybe even lost him. We reached a bridge over some train tracks. We stopped dead. The male from before had doubled around to get in front of us. Panting, we quickly turned to escape when Ronin and the other man came up behind us. Ronin still had his gun out, but it was hanging at his side. I prayed it would stay right there.

"Looks like this is checkmate," grinned Ronin. "There's nowhere left for you to run."

Naminé, who had been set down temporarily, clutched worriedly to Roxas' pant leg. The boy just glared at Ronin, hiding any sign of fear.

"This could've been easy. What a shame," Ronin shook his head. "If you had just left when I told you to, none of this would have happened." I gulped, knowing he was addressing me. Ronin continued ranting. Roxas slowly, almost unnoticeably, backed up toward me. He picked Naminé up and held her close as she hid her face in his shoulder. When Roxas was right in front of me, he whispered so softly that I almost didn't hear him, "Grab on."

"I can be a very forgiving person, but you better know your place too, Kairi Mizu," Ronin went on. I froze in horror at the mention of my name. "Roxas and Naminé are just fine working for me, and that's how it's gonna stay. Got that?"

Roxas ever so slightly glanced back at me. "Grab on. Now!" he murmured with a little more intensity. I snapped out of my petrified daze and locked eyes with him. There was a very small tremor through the ground as a train whistle sounded. Ronin took a step forward as he watched me closely.

"So just go back home like nothing happened and no one gets hurt. OK?"

I stared at him for a moment, deciding what to do. Then, quick as lightning, I leapt onto Roxas' back and held on tight, sensing that I knew exactly what he was thinking. In a split second, he climbed over the side of the bridge and dove. The group above us did a double take before racing over to the side and glancing over the edge. A train roared under the bridge and Ronin's troop glared down at us as we landed in the coal cart, riding away to safety.

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><p>Thank you so much to everyone who reads and reviews this story :D the support is much appreciated! Please tell me what you thought of this chapter!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

It was already dark out when the train pulled into one of the stations. It wasn't a passenger train; it was carrying various supplies. I wasn't sure exactly what. Naminé was already asleep, curled up in Roxas' lap. I shifted uncomfortably. We were completely silent the whole ride. I had devoted the time to thinking about what was going to happen next. I had basically just run away from home. Not intentionally, but I had nonetheless. I was one of them now. I'd have to live with Roxas and Naminé and learn to fend for myself. Well, more so than I already did. I wondered if my life would be like theirs now, living on the street and fighting for survival. I also wondered if Father would even notice I was gone…

Once the train came to a complete stop, Roxas jerked out of his monotonous, lifeless stare. Peering over the edge of the coal car, he waited until the conductor was inside the station before sneaking out. We crept away into the woods, finding shelter for the night. We walked for what seemed like miles to ensure no one would find us. Eventually, we came to a stream to wash up in. We were all pretty sooty and dirty from sitting in a heap of coal all day. We decided to stop there for the night. Roxas carefully tried to clean Naminé without waking her and then laid her down under a large, strong tree.

I sighed and sat down in the cool grass after cleaning up, using another tree's trunk to support me. I looked up at the moon through a part in the leaves. At that point, I just felt lost. Everything had changed so suddenly. _Where do we go from here?_ I wondered. _What's the next step?_ Roxas splashed one more handful of water on his face before walking over from the river and sitting down next to me. I was still watching the moon, but I could see him out of the corner of my eye. My throat tightened up.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Huh?" He looked over at me.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I'm supposed to be protecting you. But you had to save _me_, and now I'm just one more thing you have to worry about." I curled my knees up close to my body and hugged them, feeling so alone and ashamed.

"It's not your fault," he assured me. "We'll be okay. Naminé and I know how to get by."

"Yeah…" I looked down at the ground, still huddled up. I didn't feel much better.

"Just try and get some rest," Roxas told me. "In the morning, we can start looking for another town to stay in for awhile."

"Roxas?" I muttered. He looked over at me with his usual concealing stare. "Do you think…I'll ever be able to get back home?"

Roxas was the one to break our eye contact this time. He looked at the disordered mess of grass in front of him as if it held some ancient answer waiting to be found. I watched him curiously, expecting a reply and wondering what it might be. I got none. He stood, turned, and then started to walk toward the water. I watched him go, fearful that he wouldn't respond. If the answer was that I could get home somehow, he wouldn't hesitate to tell me.

He stopped moving for a brief second as if he had changed his mind about something. "As long as Ronin knows you're with us, you're not safe," he finally answered. Then he continued walking and sat by the edge of the stream. Clenching my jaw tight in worry, I looked up at the moon one last time as it shone down quietly on our tiny hiding place. Feeling a little bit safer, I curled up under its protective watch. The moonbeams danced across my skin as I slowly let my eyelids droop and finally gave in to sleep.

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><p>When I finally awoke the next morning, the early sun was softly drifting through the tree line, kissing my arms with its subtle warmth. Yawning and pulling myself up to my feet, I looked over toward Roxas and Naminé. Roxas sat up with his back to a tree trunk, his head drooped over while he dozed. Naminé was curled up tightly in his lap, using his body as a pillow. Both of them were still out like rocks. Stretching and starting to wake up, I walked over to the brook and washed my face, feeling the cool embrace of the water on my skin.<p>

I splashed my face a few more times and sighed, completely refreshed. Just then, I heard water rippling softly and I felt a presence right behind me. I screamed and whipped around, hurling water in every direction.

Roxas put his hands up in defense. "Woah! It's just me!" He smiled almost unnoticeably.

"I…didn't even hear you wake up," I chuckled sheepishly. I glanced over to the spot where he had been less than a minute ago. Naminé was laid out on the ground now, eyes still delicately closed.

"We should probably get moving soon," Roxas told me. "There should be a town pretty close to here, or at least somewhere to rest for awhile."

"Oh, uh, ok," I hesitantly answered. "How do you know that? Have you been out here before?"

"No," he shook his head. "But that train has to drop off its cargo somewhere. It may not be for quite a few miles, but there will be a town eventually."

"Oh. Right," I nodded. I hadn't even thought of that. I turned my gaze back toward Naminé. "You think we should wake her?"

Roxas glanced back too. "Yeah, I'll get her."

He walked over to his little sister and placed a loving hand on the small of her back. "C'mon, Naminé. Time to get up."

I walked over toward the two as Naminé's small, blue eyes blinked open. Still half asleep, she yawned and weakly held her arms out, mumbling, "Roxas…" With a sweet smile, the blonde boy reached down, scooped her up in his arms, and sat down, holding her close. Her eyelids began to droop shut again. Roxas silently chuckled.

"We gotta keep moving, Naminé."

"I'm too tired, Roxas," she murmured, practically asleep again already. "We walked so far…" Her voice trailed off as her soft breathing slowed to an unconscious pace again. Roxas sighed in understanding and got up, cradling Naminé over his shoulder. He smiled over at me.

"Let's go then."

We walked for quite awhile in the woods before we emerged so we could see the railway. Then, for an hour or so, we followed the tracks, heading toward whatever sort of town may be ahead. Naminé woke up along the way and got a piggyback from Roxas. My feet started to ache after awhile. _I need a piggyback too…_I thought to myself. Finally, mid-afternoon that day, we came to a small town. Relief washing over me, I went into the tiny streets alongside Roxas, already feeling comfort in the thought that we would rest soon. Hopefully, we could get something to eat, as well. I was famished. We paused to sit on a bench in a grassy area. I slumped down, relaxing my aching feet. Naminé, who had held in her energy the whole time, ran around in the park, laughing and chasing birds and grabbing for butterflies. Roxas leaned back on the bench, watching her closely. She stayed relatively close to us, but Roxas still tensed up every time someone walked by, whether they even noticed she was there or not.

I slouched down comfortably, looking up at the clear sky. Just then, my stomach rumbled lowly. I quickly shot up and covered my body with my hands. I began to blush.

"Hungry?" Roxas looked over at me. I felt bad, knowing that they often had nearly nothing to eat, but I wasn't used to going this long without food. My face heated up even more.

"Sorry. I'll…I'll be okay for awhile…"

"It's alright," Roxas stood up. "We should try and find something soon anyway." He started to walk toward the shops. "C'mon, Naminé."

She bounded over to us and shyly grabbed Roxas' hand as we all headed toward the town. We turned and walked into one of the local grocery stores. My mouth started to water as I thought of eating all the food there. I immediately felt guilty. _Only what you need, Kairi, _I told myself. _Only get what you need. _I reached into my pocket to check how much money I had with me. My heart jumped as I felt around the empty space. Groaning, I cursed under my breath. I had forgotten Brian was going to pay me yesterday! I had no money with me at all!

"You OK?" Roxas saw my frustrated state.

"I forgot my money!" I hissed. "I was supposed to get paid yesterday before I left the store!"

"Oh…" Roxas scratched his head glumly. "Well, that's alright, I guess." He casually walked over to the shelves and started browsing. I understood what he meant. We were going to steal.

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><p>Thanks for reading! Please review and lemme know how it is so far!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

My hands were still shaking. I could see why some people stole just for kicks. If you were into adrenaline, this would sure give you the rush. My heart was pounding in my ears. I had just stolen. I had broken the law! Stealing from a grocery store of all places. Brian would kill me if he were here.

I slowly took the apple out of my pocket. I glanced over at Roxas, who took a packet of cereal out from his own pocket. He gave a weak, sideways smile at me before sitting on a bench in the park. I sat down beside him. Naminé pranced over and wiggled between us, clinging to her big brother's arm. I smiled at her. Roxas opened the bag of cereal and handed it to his sister while I looked awkwardly down at the apple, unsure how we were going to split it. Roxas held his hand out to take it from me. Once I gave it to him, he took out a pocketknife, flicked the blade out, and began cutting the fruit into three pieces.

"You have a knife?" I asked sheepishly.

"I snatched it from one of the guys in Ronin's gang," Roxas told me as he distributed the apple slices. I took mine and bit into it.

"Thanks," I smiled. We ate in silence the rest of the time. We passed around the pack of cereal, each taking small handfuls. Then we would munch on our apples. When we had finished, I wasn't fully satisfied, but I knew we would only get small meals and probably only once a day. I'd have to get used to it.

When we were done eating, Roxas got up and threw our garbage away in a nearby trash can. Naminé snuggled up to my arm. I smiled down at her and ran a hand through her soft, blonde hair. A boy and his two parents walked down the path in the park between Roxas and the bench, laughing and eating ice cream. Roxas stood and watched them go by.

"So what do we do now?" I looked up. Roxas didn't answer. He had a distant expression on his face as he stared down the pathway. "Roxas?"

His head snapped over to me. "Huh? Oh…um…I'm not sure."

"Well…we could just wander around, I suppose."

"Yeah," Roxas nodded. I got up and Naminé bounced up beside me and scurried over to Roxas. We all headed toward town again. When we got there, there were a few people milling around but it was fairly quiet. We mostly just browsed through shops and looked around all day. It was a cute, little town but there wasn't much of interest.

We did find a little gift shop that had some fun stuff so we went in there for awhile. I'm pretty sure Naminé hugged every single stuffed animal in the shop. I wandered around the novelty gift area, looking at all the random stuff. I found something that I thought Roxas would like.

"Roxas, come here!" I called. He walked over. I showed him what I had found. It was a gangster bobblehead with an arrogant smirk on its face and a pistol in each pocket. I flicked it in the nose. Its head wobbled back and forth shakily. I giggled. Roxas smirked in amusement, then gave it a try himself. He forcefully flicked the bobblehead right in the face. Its whole head popped off and flew backward onto the shelf. Roxas' face immediately went red and he grabbed the broken piece, frantically trying to shove it back on. I burst into a fit of laughter. After it didn't fit back together, he just stared at the shelf uneasily. I continued laughing and eventually I got a smile and then a laugh from him too. It was refreshing to hear him happy. Our laughing died down to frequent chuckles.

"Well, I guess we should get out of here then?" I grinned. We turned to go get Naminé. However, there was no one there where she was playing before.

Roxas ran over to the pile of stuffed animals. "Naminé? Naminé!" He tossed the toys everywhere, searching frantically for her. My heart started pounding. I dashed through the store, calling her name and looking in every possible place she could be. Roxas and I met up by the front entrance.

"Did you find her?" he demanded, tense as a coiled spring. I queasily shook my head. He was breathing so quickly that I was afraid he would pass out.

"Hey, we'll find her, ok?" I reassured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He flinched away from it and sprinted out the door. I gulped as I followed him. This was my fault. I had distracted him. He looked away for a minute and then…

"There!" I yelled, pointing across the street. Three children were swinging at a playground together and one of them was Naminé. Roxas dashed across the road without even bothering to look for cars. I followed close behind.

"Naminé!" Roxas screamed.

She broke into a gleeful smile and hopped off of the swing. "Hi, brother!" She waved. Roxas grabbed her and wrapped her up in a huge hug. I walked up behind them and sighed in relief. Roxas immediately set Naminé down.

"Naminé, where did you go? You were right there in the store and then you were gone! I only turned my back for a second! You can't do that, ok? Don't ever do that again!"

Naminé whimpered and hid behind me, hugging my leg. Roxas looked hurt. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and trudged off into the field next to the playground. I reached out to stop him, but couldn't find any words to help. Naminé looked up at me sadly with tears in her eyes.

"He never gets mad at me... Kairi, I don't think Roxy loves me anymore." She began to sob. I bent down and wrapped my arms around her. Her flow of tears ran down my shoulder onto my back.

"Hey," I whispered. "Don't say that. Your brother loves you more than you imagine and he always will. He wasn't mad at you. He was just worried. He was worried that something happened to you."

Naminé sniffled and pulled away to look me in the eyes, checking if I was lying or not. "…Really? He was worried about me?"

"Yeah, and he didn't mean to yell at you. He was just really scared, that's all."

"Oh…I didn't mean to scare him," Naminé wiped at her eyes. "Do you think a hug could make it better?"

I chuckled. "Of course." We both walked over to where Roxas stood. His back was facing us and he looked off into the distance. Naminé shyly stepped forward and called his name softly.

"…Roxas?"

The boy winced at the sound of her voice. She crept up right behind him.

"…Do you still love me?"

Without hesitation, Roxas whipped around and picked her up, holding her close. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut and hugged her tighter. "I'm so sorry, Naminé," he whispered in her ear.

"Me too," she whispered back. I awkwardly stood on the side, letting them enjoy the moment. I quickly slapped a hand to my stomach when it rumbled. I didn't want Roxas to feel bad. Fortunately, no one heard it.

After Roxas set Naminé down, he turned to me. "Well…should we find a place to settle down for the night?"

I looked at the sky. It was nearly evening. Well, one day down. Who knows how many to go? "Sure," I nodded. "We could head back to the woods. It's safe and cozy in there."

We all agreed to that and began to walk in that direction.

* * *

><p>As night fell and the moon came out, our little trio settled in against the comfort of the trees. Naminé fell asleep fairly quickly and I slumped down on the tree next to her. Roxas walked up in front of me. "You hungry?"<p>

My body screamed yes but I shrugged and managed a "Not really." Roxas took a pear out of his pocket and dropped it in my hand anyway. Then he walked down to the stream. I stared at the fruit he had handed me. I would feel guilty eating it, seeing as he had gotten it just for me and there was nothing for him or Naminé. But I'd feel even guiltier if it went to waste. I quietly walked down to the water and sat by Roxas, who was perched on the shoreline. "You want some?" I asked, holding up the pear.

"Naw, go ahead. I'm not hungry," he answered.

I held it out to him anyway. He smiled slightly and took it to divide it in half. He handed me one piece of it when he was done and kept the other for himself. We both slowly took the first bite. It was delicious. Perfectly ripe and incredibly juicy, it literally fell apart in my mouth with a sweet, wet tang. My hunger immediately took over and I took another bite and then another until I was devouring the savory fruit. Roxas was still on the second bite.

"You said you weren't hungry," he teased. I looked down guiltily at the pear, which was already starting to look like nothing but the core.

"I guess I was…just a little bit."

He didn't say anything, just kept slowly and quietly munching away at the snack. I dropped my core in the stream and washed my sticky hands. We sat in silence for awhile. A few minutes later, there was a soft whimpering behind us. We both looked back over our shoulders. Naminé was stirring in her sleep. Roxas got up without a word and walked over to her. He sat down cross-legged and held her in his arms like a cradle. Then, so softly I almost couldn't hear it, Roxas began to hum. It was a slow, simple, and soothing melody, but there was something sad underlying its flowing tone. Within ten seconds, Naminé was sound asleep again. Roxas continued to hum the repeating tune for awhile before gently laying her back down in the grass. Then he walked back down to the water completely noiselessly.

He sat and stared into the water, not even acknowledging that he had ever left. "What song was that?" I wondered. He didn't answer, not right away anyway. He mindlessly picked up a small stick on the ground and began jabbing it into the damp soil.

"…It's called Dearly Beloved."

"Hmm…it's really pretty," I mused, sad that he had stopped. "Where did you learn it?"

Again, he paused before answering. He kept scratching the stick through the earth as if drawing something, but all it formed was random lines and hashes. "I learned it from my brother," he finally answered. A slight state of surprise hit me.

"Oh…I didn't know you have a brother."

The stick jabbing stopped and Roxas tossed the little piece of wood into the stream. "I don't…Not anymore."

My throat closed up and I could hardly talk anymore. I felt like his pain just kept getting deeper and deeper and there was nothing I could do to help.

"That was his favorite lullaby," Roxas continued. "He made me sing him to sleep every night."

After that, we both became so silent that all we could hear was the quiet gush of water as it flowed over the rocky bottom of the stream. There was one other question that I felt I suddenly needed an answer to.

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?"

"…What was your brother's name?"

He smiled sadly as he said it. "Sora."

Then we both fell quiet once more, letting our hidden thoughts drift away into the night.


	8. Chapter 8

Something didn't feel right. Sunlight had just begun to creep through my eyelids when I heard the loud crunch of twigs snapping. My eyes shot open and I bolted up to a sitting position. There, standing only twenty feet in front of me, was Ronin.

My heart immediately began thumping violently in my chest as if trying to escape again. I glanced to the side. Naminé was still sleeping soundly. Roxas was nowhere to be found. I looked back at Ronin. "Wh-Wh-What are you doing here?" I stammered, failing at any attempt to sound brave.

"Y'know, it took me awhile to track you down," Ronin answered, practically avoiding my question. "That train could have been headed anywhere, but I figured you wouldn't go far. A city girl like you's got no place in the outside world."

"I can get along just fine," I glared, my voice still shaky and lacking the forward strength I wanted it to have. Instead, I didn't sound sure of myself at all. My words didn't match my tone and Ronin knew he had complete control over me. Fear is power.

Ronin simply chuckled at my remark and shook his head. "Do you realize your dad has no idea where you are? You shouldn't scare him like that." My blood ran cold. "He told me he didn't even know you were taking care of the Hakumei kids! Geez, talk about a disjointed family."

"Shut up!" I screamed. "Why were you talking to Father? What did you do to him?"

Naminé stirred. I quickly ran over and hunched over her to block her view. She didn't need to know what was going on.

"Kairi…what's wrong?" Naminé mumbled sleepily. "I heard you scream."

Before I could answer, Ronin spoke up. "Well, lookit that. Roxas left the little girl with you. You've really gotten under his skin, eh, Kairi?" Naminé gasped at the familiar voice and cowered against the tree, hiding her face. I still shuddered every time he said my name.

"Go away," I said, turning to face Ronin. "Leave us alone."

Ronin smirked at my courage before adding, "I suggest you leave these two alone. C'mon Kairi, think about it. You're not homeless. You could be in your warm, comfy bed right now and have a full stomach. What are you really helping out here anyway? You can't take care of them forever and you know it." He drew a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and flicked his lighter open. "And face it," he continued, "they're as good as dead out here anyway, living a life like this. Are you gonna join them?" He placed the disgusting cigarette back in his mouth and began to walk away.

I stood and watched the spot where he had disappeared. Roxas came back at that point, carrying a few peaches. Naminé immediately whimpered and ran to him. Roxas looked down at her confusedly as she hugged him tightly, then over to me. "Is everything ok?"

I didn't answer. I stared, petrified, at the spot where Ronin had been. Roxas' voice merely echoed through my mind like a whisper in the distance that is not really meant to be heard or acknowledged. Ronin's words kept running through my head, over and over. _What are you really helping? You can't take care of them forever. They're as good as dead anyway. _

And the most haunting part about everything he said…is that he was right.

"Ronin was here," Naminé explained as she clutched her big brother.

"What?" Roxas gritted his teeth. He immediately dropped the peaches and squatted down, grabbing Naminé by the shoulders. "You're not hurt, are you? Are you alright?" The girl nodded gently, knotting her hands together in unease.

Roxas stood and turned to me. "Are you ok, Kairi?" When I still hadn't moved, he came over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "He didn't hurt you, did he? Answer me!"

I kept my gaze fixed ahead. "I'm going home."

"Kairi, what happened?"

"I don't know. But he said he…_talked _to Father. I'm scared he might have hurt him." Father and I had never been close. Even before Mother left, things were always awkward between us, and now that she was gone and Father lived in his office or in his hole of a room, we weren't exactly close. But there's something in human nature that doesn't allow you to abandon family.

"Then let's go," Roxas ordered, his tone incredibly grave. He walked stoically back to pick up the peaches and urge Naminé along. Her usual prance became a worried tiptoe. Roxas handed her one of the fuzzy treats to occupy her mind. Without another word, we all headed toward the train station.

* * *

><p>The station in town brought along passenger trains in addition to the cargo trains like the one we were on earlier. Of course, we had no money to buy tickets with, so sneaking in was still our only option. Luckily, though, we managed to weasel our way into the refrigerator car without being spotted until people's tickets had all been collected. We made it safely to our destination and blended right into the flow of people emptying out of the train cars. That's when the urgency truly set in and I couldn't confine it. I dashed toward home.<p>

"Kairi, wait!" Roxas called, scooping up Naminé and running to catch me. I didn't falter a bit as I sprinted into Kennon City, into the familiar streets of my youth, into the world of constant danger.

Roxas was behind me the whole time. Ordinarily, he would easily catch up to me in a matter of seconds, but the streets were crowded that day and I knew all the shortcuts. Within minutes, my house was in sight. Out of breath, I ran up to the door and yanked my keys out of my left pocket, jabbing them into the lock and turning them. Just before I could open the entrance to the house, Roxas caught up and yanked me aside into the alley.

"Kairi, stop!" he hissed, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "You can't just barge in there! Ronin could be waiting for you! Don't you think this whole thing could be a trap to lure you in?"

"A trap? Roxas-"

"Just let me go first." He set Naminé down and crept around the side of the wall to our front door. I waited anxiously. Why should he get to check on my own dad before me? However, within a few seconds, Roxas called my name. I ran around to the front and leapt inside with Naminé tailing me. When I entered, I saw Father and froze.

He was tied to a chair and gagged, rejected in a dark corner. When he saw me, his eyes widened and he tried to call out. "Father!" I ran over and furiously took the gag off. Roxas cut the bindings as quickly as he could.

"Are…are you ok?" I asked Father. My blood was flushed with anger and hate for Ronin. How dare he harm my family in any way, especially breaking into the house like he owned it. I swore I'd forget all fear and make Ronin pay the next time I saw him.

"Kairi…" He looked confused. "Where were you?"

"It's a long story, Father. I-"

"Are these the homeless kids?"

His question took me aback. "Um…yeah…this is Roxas and Naminé. How did you know about-?"

"That man told me…that damn man!" Father slammed his fist into the ground. "Get me the phone! I'm calling the police!"

Roxas immediately went pale and I leapt up as fast as I could. "No! No, I think it's ok. I mean, there's no way to track him right? He could be anywhere by now." Of course I wanted Ronin to receive the punishment he deserved, but if the cops came here, they'd probably have to arrest Roxas too if they found out about his crimes. And not to mention that Roxas did not want anyone else involved the problem.

"He broke into our house and attacked me! He deserves arrest, at the least! And for you! He was looking for _you! _What in God's name is going on?"

I searched frantically for words, for lies really. The truth had to remain secret from him. Not like he actually cared anyway. He wouldn't understand. "It's nothing. Really. I just helped these two out once or twice…when they needed me. That's all."

"But that man! What about him? Why is he hunting you down like some sick animal?"

I grimaced. "I…it's…complicated…I don't think it matters right now."

"Doesn't matter? Kairi, if he tied me up just because I didn't know where you were, imagine what he'd do if he found you!"

_He did this morning, _I muttered in my head. "Well, he's gone for now, right? I don't feel in danger." _Lie alert!_

Father sighed deeply and brushed a frustrated hand through his matted hair. "Alright, well it can't hurt to call the police, right? Let's at least do that so they're aware of what's going on."

"Um, how about we don't? Not until we're certain something's wrong. Doesn't that make sense? If he never comes back, there's no problem…"

"But how does he know you anyway? And…ugh…" Father moaned and rubbed his forehead. I took it as an opportunity for my escape.

"You're tired. We can talk more later, ok?" I suggested, practically crossing my fingers in hope.

After a hesitant consideration, Father agreed. He trudged into the kitchen and took out a box of leftover pizza. He brought it to his room and locked his door. I exhaled and turned back to Roxas and Naminé, who stood uneasily in the room.

"Well…what now?" I scratched my head.

"Now, we should probably get out of here," Roxas replied.

"Alright, where should we go? Probably somewhere far away."

"No. I mean, us. We're heading out."

"What? Roxas, you can't just leave me here!"

He opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself and looked over at Naminé. "Hey Naminé, why don't you go play with Kairi's dolls again?"

"Why?" she asked with her gleaming eyes staring up at him. "Are we really leaving?"

"Just let us talk about it, ok? Go play."

After she unwillingly left the room, I watched Roxas warily. "Why are you leaving?"

"Because that's what Ronin wants us to do. As long as we're here, you're in danger. You know that."

"But why? Why does he care anyway?"

"Because you're a threat."

I stopped dead at his words. "I'm…a threat?"

"Yes," Roxas nodded. "A threat to his power."

I pondered this. If Ronin viewed me as a threat, then was he really the one afraid of _me?_ Maybe I shouldn't fear him. I had a right to, though. But maybe, just maybe, I was as intimidating to him as he was to me. That thought intrigued me and gave me a sly edge that I never had before.

"You have to be careful, Kairi. He's gonna stop at nothing to get rid of you."

The way he said it sent shivers down my spine. _Get rid of you. _It somehow sounded like more than just having me out of his way. "Why though? What am I doing that's so threatening to him?"

"He's a coward. He needs people that he can place below him so he can have control over others and look high and mighty. As far as he's concerned, he's the ruler of everything around him. Imagine you coming in and taking all his thunder. If you help us and he just lets you take us away from his rule, think how bad that would look on his part. If he wants to keep up his act, he has to stop you from interfering."

"What about the guys in his gang that follow him around?"

"His bums are nothing but dogs that follow their master around blindly and do his biddings. If it weren't for them, he would be living just like us."

I thought about that in disbelief as I tried to imagine a Ronin that stole scraps to survive and slept out in the woods. I couldn't see it. "Roxas…how did you get into his debt anyway?"

The answer surprised me. "He saved me and Naminé, after we ran away from home." I hadn't expected that Ronin actually helped them out, much less that they had run away. I had just assumed they lost their parents in a tragedy or something like that. But I supposed they would have been sent to an orphanage then, or to someone else who could care for them. I couldn't decide which was worse: them losing their family suddenly or trying to imagine what went on in their house that made running away to this life the better option.

"You don't think Ronin will break in again, do you?" I asked Roxas, anxious about how much time we had to decide what we should do.

"I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe…maybe it is better that we stay just for tonight. I can protect you, just in case he's that desperate."

There it was again. He was trying to protect me instead of the other way around. But if it made him stay, I didn't care. That gave me time to convince him otherwise.

"Well, we should go get Naminé," I suggested. "We can play something with her. She probably feels left out right now."

Roxas nodded. We laid low for the rest of the day, having quiet conversations in my room and playing little imaginative games with my old toys. Naminé enjoyed that a lot. However, Roxas and I were both unsettled the whole time and there was an unmistakable pang of worry in both of us. I was relieved when night approached and the sweet sound of sleep promising its arrival fluttered in my mind.

However, I couldn't shake Roxas' metaphor and the thought kept haunting me. If Ronin was a ruler and I was a threat…of course he wouldn't just let me leave and act like I never happened. There's one way that rulers deal with problems in their kingdom.

They exterminate them.


	9. Chapter 9

After I had made up a bed of blankets and pillows on the couch, I got Naminé a quick snack. Neither Roxas nor I were very hungry. Too much stress deterring our appetites. Once Naminé had finished, she yawned and reached for Roxas. He picked her up and sat on the couch with her. She rested her head on his shoulder and played with the golden locks on the back of his neck as he began to hum. I went upstairs to get ready for bed.

Naminé must have fallen asleep in a matter of minutes, because when I came back down, the lights were off and she was curled up on the couch under the blankets. Roxas was sitting on the floor by the window, staring up into the night sky. I went over to sit by him. His shirt was laid out next to him.

"That's yours," he said. I had forgotten. That was the shirt that I had given him the first night that we met. I had never intended for him to give it back to me. I picked it up and sat in its place, handing it back to him.

"Keep it, Roxas. It's yours now."

"I'm not gonna steal from you too," he murmured.

"It's not stealing if I give it to you. Besides, you need it and I never even wear it anymore. Take it."

After a moment of hesitation, he set it on the other side of him, realizing he wasn't going to persuade me. From there, our conversation went as it usually did: pauses and silences between the few little things we did decide to say.

"Well…" began Roxas. "I guess this is good-bye. We're gonna head out in the morning."

My heart jolted painfully. "I'm coming with you," I said, soft as a whisper.

"Kairi, you can't. The whole point is to keep you out of this. Besides, you have a life here. Don't throw it away."

I snorted. "If you can even call it that. I could honestly care less if I never came back here again."

"What about your father?"

"What about him?" I countered. Deep down, I still did care slightly about him, but I absolutely loathed the idea of admitting it. He'd never done anything to deserve my love. I always told myself I hated him, but I guess, in reality, I just hated myself for not being able to hate him.

"Wouldn't he want you here?" Roxas asked me.

"I don't care what he wants."

Roxas paused before rephrasing the question. "Wouldn't he need you here?"

This stopped me for a moment, but still, I denied it. "Yeah right. He probably didn't even know I was gone. Our conversation this afternoon was the longest one we've ever had."

After that, Roxas didn't bring Father up again.

"….Hey, Kairi?"

"What?"

Roxas looked down shamefully. "Can I ask you something?"

I loosened up when I realized that I was taking my bitterness out on Roxas. He hadn't done anything wrong. "Sure, anything."

"I have…kind of a huge favor. I hate asking it, but no one else can help me."

"Go ahead. I'm here for you."

"…Could you take care of Naminé?"

I froze in horror. "What…what do you mean…?" They were just stunned words. I knew exactly what he meant.

"I don't think _we're _leaving in the morning. Just me."

"You can't, Roxas!" I cried, immediately lowering my voice when I remembered Naminé was asleep right behind us. "You can't just leave her behind!"

"She doesn't need me anymore. You're what's best for her now. I know it's a lot to ask but…"

"What are you talking about?" I hissed in a strained whisper. "You take care of her like she's the whole world and she _adores _you, Roxas! No one could ever replace you! You're her whole world!"

He shook his head. "I can hardly even keep her alive. You take care of her and you can always cheer her up. You're always the one to make her smile. And she actually has a chance at a life here."

"She's your sister! You kept her alive all this time and she can't have a life without you!"

"She can't have a life _with _me. If she keeps following me down this road, she'll have no future. And nothing hurts me more than knowing that."

"Roxas, I'll help you both. You can both have a future-"

"Ronin doesn't care about her. Just me. You would still be safe if she stayed behind."

"Roxas, I…" Struggling for words, I tried to wrestle with a problem that had no answer. His face was so pleading. He wanted a decent life for his sister, one where she wasn't constantly hiding and starving. He wanted what was best for her. How could I say no to that? But…how could I just leave him behind? I wanted to save them both. They both needed so much help.

"Just think about it," he murmured, curling up and tucking his chin into his body. When he did so, his body was leaning in farther toward the window and the full moon cast eerie patches of light across him.

I gasped. "Roxas…your back…"

He didn't say anything. His entire back was_ completely_ covered in thick scars. They almost looked like whipping marks, but they were shorter and deeper.

"What happened?" I whispered as my stomach knotted. The stillness of the night overcame everything. His answer was even softer than my question, and if it weren't for the utter silence, I wouldn't have heard him.

"There was glass...lots of glass…that night that we ran away…"

I usually got scared when he talked about his past, scared to know the truth. But for some reason, I wasn't now. Now I felt like I needed to know, needed to understand what he'd been through. So I asked him to tell me.

"Do you wanna talk about it? I can handle it."

He gave his usual silence before answering. I could tell he was thinking deeply, wondering if he should tell me. Finally, he opened up.

"I saved Naminé but I couldn't protect her. Not from the things she saw." He looked back at her restful spot on the couch. "Her sleep is troubled sometimes. I think she dreams about that last night."

Dreams and glass. Those were the only images I had of his past. I had to know more. "Roxas, what happened that last night?"

So he took a deep breath and told me everything. Not just about that night, but everything from as far back as he could remember. Even the happy times.

* * *

><p>Thanks for everyone still reading and reviewing this :) I do just want to put a small note in here about the next chapter. Obviously this is a fictional story, but the themes are very real. Roxas' backstory is not happy in the least and I just want you to be prepared beforehand. People all over the world go through similar things and part of the point of this story is to raise awareness of that, even if the specific people and places are made up. Just wanted to say that now.<p>

Well, now that you're all curious about Roxy's backstory, I have something else to add. I love you guys and all the support you give me, but other people need support too. I will not be posting the next chapter of this story until Nothing There gets three reviews. Count 'em! Three! That's another Kingdom Hearts fic by my friend FaceTrip. It's soooo good, I'm kinda obsessed with it actually. Even just reviewing the first chapter would be much appreciated :)

Thanks so much! You're all awesome!


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the long wait on this chapter! D: I completely forgot I never posted this. Anyway, here it is. In case anyone forgot what happened last, Roxas was about to tell his backstory.

* * *

><p>Roxas began his tale. "Well, things weren't always bad. My childhood was perfect, just like any other kids' seems to be. There was Mom and Dad and me and we were happy.<p>

"When I was five, Sora was born. My parents were never sure if they wanted two kids so that's why they waited to have him. I remember he immediately took a liking to me. From the moment he could crawl, he followed me everywhere. 'Roxas' was his first word. And his hair…his hair was the wildest thing you've ever seen! You think mine is spiky? His stuck out in every direction and you couldn't comb it down!"

We both chuckled and a mental image of Roxas' brother formed in my head. Roxas' smile faded away as he continued. "When Sora was two and a half, his heart began to fail. It would frequently stop and start on its own or change pace for no reason. That's when the issues between Mom and Dad started. Mom's family had a history of heart disease, but Dad's side was genetically frail and weak. They didn't outwardly blame each other for Sora's problem but there was always tension there.

"Then, one night…it just stopped. Sora's heart stopped. When we found him in the morning, it was too late. He was gone.

"My parents were never the same after that. They began having little arguments and they bickered over tiny things that didn't matter. After quite awhile, Mom decided she wanted to try again. She wanted another kid. Dad refused, which caused a larger argument that went on for a few years, but finally he gave in.

"At age ten, I had a little sister. Naminé was born. She was just like Sora, imitating everything I did and learning my name long before babies should even be able to talk. Mom nursed her and looked after her as an infant, but some wounds just can't be healed. Our parents' conflicts just kept getting worse and worse. Mom became stressed and distracted and Dad never wanted to have anything to do with Naminé in the first place. Slowly, we became invisible. So naturally, I became Naminé's parents.

"I fed her and kept her healthy. I taught her everything she needed to know in our house: not to pester Dad, not to bother Mom, not to ask either of them for anything or complain about anything. And I showed her the best spots to play outside when we shouldn't be inside.

"We lived by the edge of a small woods that encircled a little pond. Naminé and I used to go out there all the time. The woods became our home. We would mostly just sit and talk. Sometimes, we would just sit. The woods were the place we could escape everything else.

"Mom's and Dad's problems only worsened. Mom developed some level of depression and she stopped taking care of herself. Dad became an alcoholic and was often out drinking until two or three in the morning. He'd stagger in late at night, get locked out of the bedroom by Mom, curse and swear for nearly five minutes, and then pass out on the couch. Sometimes Mom would curse back and a huge fight would develop on either side of the door. I tried to shield Naminé from most of it, but I couldn't protect her from everything. She heard a lot of their arguments. They never got a divorce, but I think in their minds, they weren't even a couple anymore anyway.

"Finally, I decided there was no point in staying. We were going to run away. I told Naminé to pack a few of her favorite things into our bag and that we were leaving that night. She never asked where we were going or why. She was only six at the time but she had a deep, mature wisdom. She understood things that no one else her age would.

"Night came and I snuck into the kitchen to grab a stash of food before we left. I thought our parents were asleep. As I opened the cupboard and began scavenging for things to take, Dad walked in with a beer in his hand. He swigged some down before giving me a funny look. He asked what I was doing. I shut the cupboard and told him I was just a little hungry. He asked why the hell I was eating so late at night and told me to go up to my room. I said I really needed something to eat, just a little bit. I had no idea how far Naminé and I would be going or where we'd get food. I needed something with us.

"Dad said I didn't need no damn food and he yelled at me to go to my room. Giving up, I crept toward the stairs. Naminé came down, asking when we were leaving. She knew Mom and Dad weren't supposed to know about our plan, but she hadn't seen Dad when she said it. She had assumed they were asleep, just like I had. She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. He had heard her.

"He demanded to know where we were going, and when neither of us answered, he started to freak out. I realized that if we didn't get out now, we were never going to. I ran up the stairs, grabbing Naminé along the way. Dad yelled and screamed angrily, chasing after us. I dashed to my room, not bothering with our bag, and threw the window open as fast as I could. Dad barreled into the room before we could jump. Naminé was terrified and leapt from my arms to cower in the corner. Dad grabbed me and shook me. He screamed, 'You're not leaving! 'You're not leaving!' Mom ran in to see what the noise was about. At the sight, she thought Dad was going to hurt me, and he probably was. She yelled his name and tore at his shirt to try and pull him away. He threw an arm back to free himself. It knocked her into the wall, smashing the light switch off. Streetlights and the headlights of passing cars were the only way to see anymore.

"Dad swung his fist angrily through the air. I ducked to the side and he hit the window instead of me. It shattered all over the floor. Mom and Naminé were both sobbing at that point. Mom desperately tried to calm Dad down. She was screaming his name between waterfalls of tears and grabbing his arm, but he ignored her. He just kept pushing her away. He was in a rampage beyond human thought or logic.

"When he finally landed a blow to my face, Naminé went crazy. She was howling and screaming inhumanly. The noise made Dad turn and target her next. I was disoriented and my head was throbbing, but I heard Naminé wail in fear and saw Dad's silhouette against the light outside. I ran between Dad and Naminé as he yelled at her to shut up and dove at her. I stood my ground as best as I could, but Dad roughly grabbed my shoulders and I could do nothing but squirm in his grasp. He growled and shoved me aside. I landed on my back right under the broken window. I don't remember screaming but I remember the searing pain as each individual shard of glass found a place in my body.

"Mom charged straight at Dad and knocked him over. Naminé ran over to me. She cried out as she stepped on the glass-coated floor. I forced myself up and grabbed her. It was too dark to see Mom and Dad and know which of them had the upper hand. I held Naminé close and jumped out the window. Somehow, I landed on my feet. I tumbled over afterward, but I managed to get up again and keep running. I never looked back. My body was beyond human limit, but I was moving on sheer will to escape.

"After nearly half an hour, I collapsed right outside the outskirts of Kennon City. The pain and exhaustion had taken over. I passed out. That's when Ronin found us. He fixed us up and gave us something to eat. He told us he would keep feeding us if I worked for him. I had to accept. We needed food and I didn't know where we'd get it. So that's when I started stealing for Ronin. That's when I became indebted to him."

He fell silent after that, letting it all set in. He stared down at a patch of moonlight on the floor. From the hollow look in his eyes, I could tell the images were replaying in his head over and over. I thought he might cry, but he never did. I reached over and slid my hand into his, squeezing it gently. He smiled sadly. There was nothing romantic about it, no feeling passing between us. It was simply a gesture of comfort, a sign telling him that he wasn't alone.

Neither of us spoke for the rest of the night. We simply sat hand-in-hand and watched the moon hang sorrowfully in the sky, its pale light reaching for anyone who was there. At nearly two in the morning, I decided it was time to go to bed. I squeezed his hand one last time before heading upstairs to my room.

I didn't get to sleep for a long time that night. The moon kept me company, and for some reason, a sheer absence of thoughts ran through my head. In the stillness of the night, my sanctuary finally took me into its sweet embrace where I was content and everything was uncomplicated.

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><p>Thoughts? Feelings? Questions? Sorry if this was painful for people to read.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the wait! (Life has been very busy)

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><p>When I woke up, I crept down into the kitchen. Roxas and Naminé were still fast asleep. Roxas' arm was curled around Naminé like always, but not in a protective way. It was more tender, like the way someone would hold a teddy bear.<p>

I poured myself a glass of cranberry juice before starting to make breakfast. I didn't even jump in surprise when Roxas and Naminé appeared behind me. I was used to it. I set the plates out and dished up the food. We were out of eggs so it wasn't much of a meal: toast, sausage, and oranges. They didn't seem to mind at all. I could tell Roxas had finally given in and admitted how hungry he was, because he ate much more than usual. Even Naminé had a pretty voracious appetite. I smiled and took her plate when she was done. She thanked me sweetly and wandered off to play. Goodness knows what old toys she would find today.

Roxas came over and helped me with the dishes. We discussed the plan for the day. Roxas said he had some things he needed to do, which I obviously didn't like the sound of.

"I'm not leaving for good," he assured me quietly. "I just have something I need to take care of."

I set down the plate I was washing and glared at him. "If you get yourself hurt or into any kind of trouble-"

"I won't," he promised. "I'll be fine."

"Alright," I hesitantly accepted. "Then I guess I'll take Naminé for a walk. Maybe we can stop by the park or something. Meet back here in a couple of hours?"

"Sure," he nodded as he dried the last dish and put it away. "See you later then."

"Hey Naminé!" I called.

She bounded into the kitchen. "Yes, Kairi?"

"You wanna go for a walk with me? Your brother has some things to do."

"OK," she smiled. Roxas walked by and ruffled her hair. The little blonde squealed in protest, swatting his hand away. He grinned as he stepped outside. Naminé turned back to me, waiting patiently. I dried my hands and went to slip my shoes on. Naminé watched me happily the whole time and I immediately felt guilty when I saw her bare feet. Unfortunately, I had no extra shoes, especially not in that size. I opened the front door without a word.

It was a great day for a walk. The sun was out but it wasn't hot or humid at all. It was perfect. We strolled through the city on the quieter streets, taking care to stay fairly close to my house. I bought Naminé a peppermint stick at the candy store and then we played at the playground for a while. After about an hour and a half of being out and about, we headed back home. On the way, Naminé spotted the toy store and insisted that we go in. I figured a quick stop wouldn't hurt and I couldn't say 'no' to her anyway.

The store wasn't that big but we were in there for quite some time. Naminé played with every single toy there was and we slowly made our way from front to back. I found it funny how excited she got whenever she saw toys, but I guess it made sense. This was the only place she'd ever get to play with them. I decided I'd buy her something at the end, whichever toy she liked best.

The back of the store was the stuffed animal section. Naminé immediately ran to them happily and leapt into a heap of enormous stuffed dogs like it was a pile of autumn leaves. I began to follow her over there, when suddenly, a hand roughly seized my arm and yanked me out the back door into the alleyway. My assailant shoved me against the brick wall and I found myself face-to-face with Ronin. A gun pressed into my side.

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><p>"Kairi!" Naminé called. "Kairi?" I faintly heard her voice on the other side of the wall but it didn't register. The sickening smell of tobacco and grave danger flooded my nostrils. There was nothing but this moment, this moment of life or death. One wrong word or action and it was over.<p>

"Look who's here," Ronin sneered. "Kairi Mizu _and_ the little girl!"

My heart was racing a million miles a second but I tried to keep my composure. "What do you want, Ronin?"

"I think the question is: What do _you _want, Kairi? Do you wanna live?" He shoved the gun harder into my side for emphasis.

I winced. "What I want is to beat you with my own hands and leave you on the streets to die like you did to Roxas and Naminé!" That's what I wanted to say. However, I kept my thoughts to myself. That kind of outburst is probably the type of reply that would get me killed.

Instead, I just answered, "Yes." Pathetic. But I was staying as far to the safe side as possible. I could hardly even breathe anymore. Fear had me by the throat and it was a struggle to even get words out.

Ronin snickered at me. "I figured as much. Then why haven't you taken my advice and ditched the Hakumei kids yet?"

I wasn't sure how to answer. 'I didn't want to,' would sound so stupid and insufficient. He'd shoot me if I didn't come up with something better. Telling him the truth, that I cared about them too much, would be even more dangerous. I clenched my teeth, thinking as quickly as I could.

Ronin withdrew his gun but leaned in even closer to me, his icy eyes boring into mine. "Maybe you aren't the real problem. Here's a new deal: If you don't convince those two to leave, their lives will be the ones in danger."

"No!" I gasped. Just then, there were footsteps. Ronin clamped a hand over my mouth and pulled me backward into the shadows where we couldn't be seen. A couple passed in front of the alley. When they were out of sight, Ronin whispered threateningly, "If their lives are really that important to you, meet me at the old abandoned warehouse tonight at 8:00. Then maybe we can figure out a solution to your _problem. _Don't be late."

He let go of me and slinked out of the alley, once again blending into the buzz of everyday life. I stood there in shock for a minute, shaking and listening to the thud of my heart in my ears. Then I realized Naminé was still in the store by herself. I snapped out of my trauma and dashed inside.

"Kairi!" Naminé's desperate voice called out.

"Naminé!" I yelled, running after the sound. I found her looking through the aisles with tears in her eyes. "Naminé, over here!"

"Kairi!" She dashed over to me and leapt into my arms, burying her face in my neck.

I hugged her tight. "I'm so sorry, Naminé. I'm so sorry…"

"Where did you go?" she sobbed.

"I…I just…had to…use the bathroom. I really should've brought you with, even if I wouldn't be gone long. I'm so sorry, Naminé." It didn't even sound believable but I couldn't tell her the truth.

Her crying stopped. She sniffled slightly as she pulled back to look at me again. "I guess it is kinda scary…to lose someone you care about."

I froze and stared at her, swallowing hard. "Y-yeah…it is…"

"Did Roxas cry when I disappeared?"

"He was really worried…but no. He didn't cry."

Naminé slid down to the ground with a giggle. "I didn't think so. Roxy never cries."

I smiled as her old, cheerful self came back again. "Y'know what? I 'm gonna buy you a toy. Do you want a toy?"

Her face immediately lit up. "Can I?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "Pick one out."

She shrieked in delight and ran back to the animals, snatching a fluffy, blue bunny.

"That one?" I chuckled. She nodded as she hugged it tight.

We walked up to the front counter. I handed Naminé the money for it and urged her up to the lady sitting there. Naminé looked back at me in fright and confusion. She had probably never bought anything before or even seen it done very many times. I walked up beside her and whispered, "Set the bunny on the desk." She did so and the woman smiled at her while she rung the toy up on the register.

"$4.50," the woman said.

"Hand her the money," I instructed Naminé. The girl timidly placed the 5 dollar bill on the counter. The cashier took it, gave me the change, and then slid the rabbit over to Naminé. "Thank you," the cashier smiled. Naminé hugged the animal to herself and avoided eye contact. I chuckled.

"C'mon, Naminé." I took her arm and gently pulled her toward the door.

"Have a nice day!" the woman called.

"Thanks!" I waved as we exited the store. "See, Naminé? You bought something!"

She thought about it for a minute, then started beaming. "Wait 'til I tell Roxy!"

I smiled, then glanced at my watch. The smile faded. At 8:00 tonight, I would have to face Ronin. Alone.

We reached my house and I unlocked the front door. As we were walking inside, I heard my name called from the street.

"Kairi!" I turned to see Roxas sprinting toward the house. He stopped outside the entrance, panting.

"Whoa! Hey! Where's the fire?" I asked.

"Look, Roxas! I bought a stuffed animal!" Naminé declared triumphantly, holding up the little blue bunny. He glanced over at me.

I shrugged. "I gave her the money."

He nodded, catching his breath. "Is…something wrong?" I pondered hesitantly.

The blonde looked over at his sister. "Hey, Naminé, why don't you go play in the living room with your new toy?"

"OK," she nodded while snuggling the fuzzy animal up to her body and trotting inside. Roxas pulled me aside into the kitchen.

"Are you OK?" he questioned. "Are you hurt?"

"Uh, no…why would I be?"

"I don't know," he quickly replied. "Just…got a bad feeling."

"I'm fine," I fibbed, trying to sound as casual as possible. I changed the subject. "So how was your errand? What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing much," he answered, staring at the ground. "Just looking for a birthday present for Naminé. Looks like she already got a pretty good one from you though."

"Oh, I didn't even know it was her birthday!" I exclaimed. "I'll have to wish her a happy birthday then!"

"Oh, well it isn't actually her birthday until next week."

"Oh, ok. Then I'll tell her next week."

"Yeah..."

"You alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Roxas replied.

"Y'know what? I think we all need to get our minds on something else." I motioned him toward the living room. "Hey, Naminé!" I called. "Do you wanna play a game?"

She whipped around. "OK!"

"Here. I still have some old board games in my room." I went up to my closet and came back down with an armload of games I used to love. We spent the entire day playing Chutes N' Ladders, Candyland, Monopoly Jr., Charades, Pictionary, Scrabble, and card games like Uno, Go Fish, and War. For the first time, we all laughed and had a blast together, forgetting everything else that usually occupied our minds.

We got so distracted that, when evening came, we completely forgot about dinner. In fact, we'd played every single game I owned two or three times each. Our stomachs' growling was the alarm to get a meal started. I stood and turned toward the kitchen.

Roxas stood too. "I'm gonna take a walk."

I frowned. "Are you sure? I was about to heat up some soup."

"It's fine. I'm not that hungry. I just…need to get out."

"OK…" I hesitantly answered, but I didn't stop him. He definitely had too much on his mind and needed time to sort everything out. I just hoped I wasn't making everything harder than it needed to be. Maybe I should just let him go...

In reality, did it matter? I hated the thought of it, but maybe we're all just living and dying.

Roxas kissed Naminé on the forehead and left before I could say anything else. I sighed and turned back to the stove. I took out a pot and a can of soup while Naminé sat in a chair with her new bunny to keep her company. Just as I reached for the dial to turn the stove on, my eye caught the clock. 7:05.

Crap! In my distraction, I had completely forgotten that I had to meet Ronin in the old warehouse tonight. I had less than an hour to get all the way out of town. I didn't want to know what would happen if I was late.

"Umm, Naminé?" I slowly turned to her. "I have somewhere that I have to go…" I growled in frustration at myself for being so stupid. With Roxas gone, there was no one here to watch her. I couldn't just leave her. I had promised to protect her. What would Roxas think if he came back and found that she was all alone, especially after he had basically asked me to adopt her? I couldn't do that.

I spoke carefully, not wanting her to know why I had to go where I was going. "We have to take a walk again. I need to go somewhere and I don't want you here alone."

"Ok," she nodded, confused but trying to be cooperative. I briskly slipped my shoes on and opened the door. Naminé hesitantly walked outside and I closed the door, locking it behind us. I looked down at her and forced a smile, beginning to stride forward. She hesitantly followed behind, clutching her rabbit to her body.

Facing the setting sun, we began our journey towards nightfall.

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><p>Well, the next chapter is the last one! I forgot to warn everyone that it's a fairly short story. The last chapter needs a lot of work so it may be a little while until it's posted. Until then, please review and tell me what you thought ;D<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Hello all! Sorry for the long wait. Life has been quite demanding lately and I haven't had the energy to work on this, plus it needed editing work too. But here it finally is, thanks for being patient. There is an epilogue actually, but I want to thank everyone now for the incredible support. I got some really heartfelt response to this story and it meant alot. Thanks so much to everyone who read this :)

So here it is! Chapter 12! Enjoy!

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><p>"This is sort of a long walk and we have to move pretty fast," I explained to Naminé. "You think you can make it?"<p>

"I'll try," she nodded. We both walked down the dark, twilight street. Wind nipped at our faces and night's cold chill was already out on the prowl. I was walking quickly, due to time constraints, and Naminé was just doing her best to keep up. I felt awful but she was a good sport about it. However, after trekking for quite awhile, she admitted that she was too tired to go on.

I hoisted her up into piggyback position and pressed onward. At almost exactly 8:00, we arrived at the warehouse. Panting, I set Naminé down and stared at the large double doors that served as the entrance. They were already open, as if waiting for me. As I stood in front of the opening, all I saw was complete darkness staring me in the face.

Naminé peered into it worriedly. "Why do you have to go in there, Kairi?"

I turned to her and squatted down so I could look her in the eye. "Look, Naminé, why I'm here is a secret, ok? But you can't come in. If anything bad happens, you run. But otherwise, wait right there, alright?"

"Kairi, I don't like this…" whimpered Naminé.

"I know. But you gotta be brave, just like your brother. I shouldn't be gone long." I stood, never feeling such sense of betrayal in my life. Her huge, innocent eyes drilled into me as I turned back to the warehouse. I felt her watch me as I walked right into the unknown.

Right into a trap.

When I got inside, I saw that a patch of the roof was gone, casting a large window of moonlight on the ground that just slightly illuminated the rest of the area. In the center of the room stood Roxas.

"Roxas? What on earth are you doing here?" I asked, running over to him.

"Kairi? I should ask you the same thing! Where's Naminé?"

"Waiting outside. Why are you here? I thought you were taking a walk!"

"I'm sorry…I lied," he admitted. "I wasn't taking a walk and it's not Naminé's birthday next week. I just told you that because I didn't want you to know where I really went today…I needed to talk to Ronin. I tried to convince him that Naminé and I weren't staying with you anymore. But she wasn't with me so it was too suspicious. He knew I'd never leave her anywhere by herself. So he told me to come here tonight and he might let it slide. Then he left and I thought he might have gone to find you and hurt you…That's why I went running back to your house."

"He told me to come here too, so we could talk over my…_situation,"_ I explained, finding no better word to describe the dilemma I was in.

Roxas tensed. "You saw him today?"

"Yeah…I lied about that…so I guess we're even. He found me while I was out with Naminé. He threatened me with a gun and told me the consequences would get worse soon. I was forced to come here, Roxas. I'm sorry. I thought he would hurt you and Naminé if I didn't!"

"So then…this is a trap!" Roxas realized with horror. Suddenly, there was a _bang! _Roxas yelped and keeled over, his leg beginning to bleed immediately. I screamed in shock and terror. Roxas crumpled to the ground, wincing and gripping his injured leg, as Ronin stepped out of the shadows with pistol in hand.

"I tried to warn you," he began. "If you don't follow orders, someone is going to get hurt."

"Roxas!" I yelled, dropping down beside him and grabbing his hand.

"So, Kairi, you still happy to be helping them out?" Ronin glowered at me like he was truly disappointed.

"You monster!" I howled, tears starting to stream down my face.

"Kairi…get out of here," Roxas managed through clenched teeth. My mind was in turmoil and I couldn't think straight, so I automatically obeyed. I jumped up, pointed to run in the direction of the door. Ronin cocked his pistol and aimed at me.

"No!" cried Roxas. Just then, the pitter-patter of feet halted the chaos. We all froze, looking toward the noise.

"Kairi, what's going on?" came Naminé's scared little voice as she stepped out into the open room. My heart pounded. She shouldn't be in here.

Ronin was the first to snap out of his daze. In the moment of distraction, with my back turned to him, he raised his pistol once again. He pulled the trigger. The gun went off. The scream pierced the empty air and Naminé's little white dress was instantly painted red.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Roxas leapt up, completely ignoring the bullet wound in his leg, and full-out sprinted toward his sister. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She started to fall. Roxas ran, nearing her with every step, and dove. He caught her just in time, smashing his stomach on the ground. My heart pounded faster and faster, reaching inhuman limits, but this time, it wasn't out of fear. It was out of rage.

I let out an animalistic cry and dove straight for Ronin. I caught him by surprise and immediately began clawing and biting him. He swore and punched at me, trying to shake me off, but I wouldn't let him. He was going to _die._

Roxas clutched his little Naminé close as tears flowed from his eyes like faucets. She was howling and bawling, screaming Roxas' name over and over. "Help, Roxas! It hurts! Make it stop!" But there was nothing he could do. Her frenzy quieted and her voice grew weaker. Roxas cried and begged her to be OK as she whimpered pathetically and her eyes slipped close.

I lost it. I kneeled over Ronin and pinned him to the ground, lashing at his face hard enough to make him bleed. However, he managed to get a hold on both of my wrists to stop the assault. He pushed me back and kicked me squarely in the gut with both feet. I flew backward and hit the floor with a _thud. _Ronin clambered across the ground. My whole body ached and my head was whirling but my bloodlust for revenge was still raging. I jumped back to my feet, hearing a _click _as I did so. When I was standing and facing Ronin again, his pistol was pointed at me.

Roxas' voice sounded so distant, like an echo. "Run, Kairi!" It was too late. All I remember was a huge crack, unbearable pain, and then everything went black.

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><p>I awoke in a strange room, weary and disoriented. It wasn't until my head cleared and my senses kicked in that I realized I was in a hospital bed. The room was dark. The lights were off and the sky was clouded, giving everything a dreary feel.<p>

I sat up in bed, immediately regretting doing so. There was a sharp pain in my collarbone which quickly became a sore, unsettling ache. I winced. Feeling around the source of the pain, I discovered there was a large wrap of bandages around my left shoulder, covering that part of my collarbone. The very center was dyed red with blood.

My mind was still foggy. I only vaguely remembered last night. I had a blurry vision of Ronin pointing a gun at me and then…then what? Had I been shot?

The door to the room quietly squeaked open and a short, stout, old woman with a sweet face waddled in. "Oh! You're awake!" she exclaimed. "Well, how are you feeling? Rested enough?"

"Um…I think so," I mumbled, still a little drowsy.

"That's good," she chuckled. "Those three-day naps always feel refreshing, hmm?" She opened a cupboard and took something out of it.

I was taken aback. Three days? I had been asleep for three days? Just how hard had I been hit?  
>The nurse walked over to my bedside with plastic gloves on, holding a roll of bandages. "Time to change these out," she explained. "Just hold still." She reached out and carefully removed the bloody bandage around my collarbone. She talked as she started wrapping the new bandage around me. "Your collarbone was shattered. We had to remove the bullet and reconstruct the bone. We loaded you up on painkillers, but you were probably lucky you were out the whole time."<p>

I probed at the new bandage and quickly pulled away when it stung. "Try not to touch it," the nurse warned. "The bone is mostly healed but you still have to be careful about the flesh. It starts to bleed again sometimes when it's irritated. Just be aware of everything you do."

"OK." I laid in bed sluggishly with no will to get up or even move. The nurse disposed of the old bandage and her gloves. It wasn't until then that I even wondered how I got there.

"By the way, you have someone waiting to see you," the nurse informed me. "I can send him in if you're feeling up to it."

"Oh! Of course!" I couldn't believe I had forgotten Roxas and Naminé! I prayed Naminé was alright. My stomach twisted up as last night's occurrences all came back to me. I watched the door eagerly as it opened, desperate to see Roxas and know everything was going fine.

However, it wasn't him that came in. It was Father. I slouched back down. "Hey, Kairi," he greeted me softly as he shut the door behind him. "How…how are you feeling?"

"Good," I replied, now very anxious about Roxas and Naminé. Father walked into the room and stood awkwardly. "You can sit down," I pointed out. He scratched his head, walked over to the chair next to my bed, and sat uneasily. I sighed and looked out the window.

"Uh…Kairi," Father began, clearing his throat. "I think…uh, we need to talk."

"What about?" I asked, avoiding eye contact.

"I get assaulted and told you're housing homeless children behind my back and then I hear you got _shot _and are in the hospital in critical condition!"

"Was there a question in there?"

"Well…I think there's a story in there."

"You just summed it all up, didn't you?"

He let out a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. I knew I was being harsh, but I didn't exactly want to talk to him about it. Or about anything, really. I tried to loosen up, though. "Sorry, Father. I just…don't really wanna talk about it. I'm still tired."

"Sure. I understand. I just…I know I haven't been spending time with you. I want to make things better. I just…don't know how."

"It's fine. It's no big deal," I shrugged. Ever since Mom left, things were always weird between us, not that they were ever great. I preferred to be on my own, though. "Look, Father, I'm really tired. Can we talk later?"

He hesitated for a minute, but then finally replied, "Sure." He slowly got up and headed toward the door.

On his way out, I stopped him. "Hey, Father?"

"Yes?"

"Could...you send the nurse back in?"

"Sure, are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just need some answers, that's all."

"OK. I can go get her."

"Thanks."

He turned back to the door and stepped out into the hall. Shortly after he left, the old woman trotted back in.

"Is everything alright, sweetie?"

"I was just wondering…how I got here. Was there a teenage boy and a little girl with me?"

"Oh, yes!" The nurse perked up a little like she had just remembered something important. "That boy carried both you and that little girl here. He collapsed just outside the hospital. He was in pretty bad shape, too. If any of you had gotten here a moment earlier, I don't know how much we could have done. Especially the little one…"

"But they're ok, right? The girl is ok?" I prodded urgently. I knew Roxas was tough and his injury was the least damaging. It was Naminé I was worried about. I had no idea if she even…

"Hmm…she was in critical condition when we first found her. The poor dear…" The woman's face became troubled. "She needed surgery and quite a few blood transfusions. But…she should've recovered just fine."

I shot up in bed, which really hurt, but I didn't care. I cried angrily, "What do you mean _should've _recovered? Why didn't she? Why didn't you save her? !"

"Shh, shh, shh, it's ok, dear," the old nurse coaxed, placing a hand on my shoulder and calming me back into bed. "She's alive. The doctors got to her just in time."

I fought past the awful throb in my collarbone and took a deep breath. "Then why did you say 'should've'?"

"Because…well, I'm not exactly sure how she's doing. She's gone."

My heart stopped. "…Where is she?"

"She and her brother disappeared. We had to identify each of you once you began to recover so that we could inform your guardians of your conditions. Those two were harder to identify because there were almost no records of them anywhere. But when we thought we had found something, they just ran. He took his sister and left."

Well, that was Roxas for you. So they really were gone. My heart ached, but at the same time, I was relieved. They needed to get out of there. I just hoped Naminé would make it. A fatal injury like that and then only a few days of recovery in the hospital…that was rough. But I knew Roxas would take good care of her. He'd make sure she was fine.

"Hurt your collarbone again?" the nurse asked, eyeing my bandage as it began to turn red again. The woman tried to act compassionately but her look was one of humor, as well.

I grimaced. "Yeah…"

"Told you to be careful!" she teased. "I think you rebroke it. Just hold tight, let me go talk to a doctor. I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, she left the room. I looked back out the window. A bird drifted alone through the dark backdrop of the clouded sky.

Maybe that's what my life would be now. A lonely walk through endless grey. I didn't blame Roxas. He was trying to do what was best for me. He wanted me here and maybe he was right. Maybe this was the best place for me.

Well, I guess I've a reached a point in my life now where there's true doubt. Where do I go from here? Where _can _I go from here? I suppose I just continue on with my old life. Do I? I don't know. There's not much else I _can_ do. Has anything changed? Did I make a difference at all? I'd like to think so, but maybe those two really are better off without me. Maybe this is how it always should have been.

I stare at the bird again. Have you ever had one of those moments where this feeling creeps into your stomach but you can't quite figure out what to call it? That's what happened just now. And then it hits me. The bird isn't alone. It's soaring high above everything else, above the busy monotony of life, above the weary people down below, searching for the brilliant light that it can't see but knows is there.

And somehow, after everything that's happened, after all the moments that will haunt my dreams forever, I know this feeling that's rooted deep in my being. It's almost a new sensation to me entirely, but somehow, of all the things I could be feeling, this is the one in my heart:

Hope.


	13. Epilogue

Again, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this. The support is much appreciated :) I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! But all stories must come to an end, and so, here is the epilogue, the final chapter, to Living and Dying.

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><p>It's been ten years since everything that happened. After refracturing my collarbone in the hospital, I had to wear a rather unattractive head brace for months. I laid low for a while, unwilling to show my face in public. Ronin's body was found in the warehouse about a week after I was released from the hospital. I saw it in the paper. Cause of death: pocketknife wounds.<p>

After I was fully recovered, I started working again. I couldn't show my face around Brian's but I found a job at a daycare, taking care of kids. After a few years of that, I wanted to open the business I have today. Life is truly a classroom. Without it, I never would've learned the skills I need. I opened a shelter for abused and homeless children.

It definitely wasn't an easy facility to open. I have next to no educational background and I've never seen a true shelter in operation, but I just went with what I knew. After a long, long process, I finally got permission to open it. I have huge amounts of sponsors and supporters that keep the shelter running. There are other good people out there too, I guess.

It's a fairly small shelter. There are only two other employees here, Jen and Dave. They're great. We all work with different kids and try to get them to open up about their past but give them a safe, ordinary life too. When they're old enough, we help them find a job and get them on their feet to live their own life. I love my work so much. Of course it's not easy, but it's the life I want.

I'm sitting in my office now, working on some files for a kid that just arrived. There's a soft knock at my door. "Come in," I tell them, finishing up on the computer.

They walk in and ask politely, "Do you happen to have any positions open?" The door clicks shut behind them. I turn to tell them that we aren't hiring. I freeze. There's no mistaking it. She's so much older but she has the same gentle, blond curls and sweet smile.

I gasp. "Naminé…?"

"Hey, Kairi! Long time, no see," she says with a small wave and that signature look of hers. I slowly get up, positive that this is a dream. Then I run around the side of my desk and hug her tight. She wraps her arms around me and giggles, just like always. It's impossible for this moment to be real.

I pull away. "How on earth have you been? Look how old you are!"

"Look at yourself!" she laughs. "I'm great. Everything is going well. How about you? You seem to be pretty busy!"

"Oh, I'm great! I love it here! It's…exactly what I want to be doing."

"Good," she smiles.

I can't help but hug her again. "It's so great to see you. And you're hired! You get the job! Start as soon as you can!"

"Kairi, you still have to formally check my qualifications and everything."

"Why? You think _I _have any qualifications to be doing this?" I laugh.

She smirks back. "You seem to have some experience in the area."

I chuckle. "Well, fair enough."

"Hey! How about you come over to my place for dinner tonight? Then we can catch up on everything that's been going on," Naminé suggests excitedly. Nothing sounds better right now.

"I'd love to. Just let me finish up here." So after I pack up and leave Jen in charge, we're off. We walk slowly through town, chatting about life and Naminé's high school career.

When we reach the house, Naminé takes the keys out of her left pocket and unlocks the front door. I smile at the familiar action. Once we're inside, I gape. It's a beautiful house. Small and simple, but inviting and cozy. My type of house.

"Like it?" Naminé grins at my reaction and walks down the hall.

"Oh, it's lovely," I tell her, following her and looking around. The hallway opens up into a kitchen off to the right, which connects to the living room. On the left is the dining room, connected to another hall with two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Naminé walks into the kitchen. "I sorta took up cooking as a hobby. I was gonna make a pesto parmesan tortellini for dinner tonight. You wanna help?"

"Uh…do I have to know what that is to help out?" I laugh.

"Of course not!" she beams. "Come on over. I'll show you what to do." We have a great time cooking in the kitchen together. The meal is all ready to be served as the sky begins to turn orange from the sunset. As soon as we finish the table settings, the front door opens.

"I'm home, Naminé!" a fairly deep male voice calls down the hall. She doesn't say anything, just smiles excitedly at me. The floorboards creak and then he's right there. He's standing right there. He's decked out in a police officer's uniform and is taller, more matured, and more muscled, but he has the same mess of blonde hair atop his head. He stops dead when he sees me, unsure that I'm really who he thinks I am. I do the same, only because he's so different than I remember.

We both just stand there for nearly a minute, unsure what to say. Naminé finally breaks the silence. "We made dinner. I hope you're hungry!" I try to break the awkwardness by crossing the room. I'm not sure if it's the appropriate gesture, but I wrap my arms around him in a soft hug. After a stunned moment, to my relief, he returns the gesture. This is the one thing about him that hasn't changed. His embrace is the same as ever, still tight and intimate, yet gentle. It's the type of grasp that lets you know you can trust him.

After we uncomfortably and silently pull away, Naminé seats everyone and gets dinner going. It's pretty uneasy at first but Naminé is good at starting conversations. Unfortunately, they don't last long. We briefly talk about our jobs and other little things but that's about it. After dinner, Naminé and I begin to do the dishes but her brother comes over and asks if we can talk for a while. He tells Naminé she doesn't have to wash anything, that he'll do it later. She goes off to her room so we can have a one-on-one conversation.

We sit in the living room. It's quiet at first. He drums his fingers like he's anxious about something. I can tell that this is weird for him, and honestly, it goes both ways. But I'm just happy we could all meet up again. I forgot how much I loved their company. Their odd, mostly silent, completely comforting company.

I begin to question whether this was a good idea. Maybe he really isn't the same at all. Maybe time does change everything.

"I hear Naminé is enjoying school," I smile. "She was telling me all about it."

"Yeah, she loves it," he smiles back. It's a tiny smile, but then again, his always were. "So…homeless shelter, huh?"

I nod. "I…thought it was the right thing to do. It's what I wanted to do." He seems to be thinking about something. "So…police force, huh?" I grin. "How'd you get into that?"

He scratches his head. "Well…it was one of the few things I _could _do. I mean, with so little time in school…but it's what I wanna do."

"I guess we're both happy then," I say as I lean back in my chair contentedly. "We're both doing what we do best." He cocks his head at me as if he doesn't quite understand.

"We're saving people."

That causes a spark of his old self in his eyes. He looks down at the floor and starts to fidget again.

"Roxas…?" I test out his name for the first time. It's like a relief to my whole body to say the familiar sound again.

"K-Kairi?" He tries my name now.

"What' wrong?" I ask.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you behind."

Leave me behind? "You mean in the hospital?" He nods gravely. "Roxas, it's ok. You had no choice. Besides, it was for my own good."

He swallows hard. "So, you're not mad at me?"

I chuckle. "Do I look mad at you?"

He looks me right in the eye and smiles. "Thanks, Kairi."

"Of course," I return the gesture. "Hey, you up for a game of Candyland?" I joke.

For the first time I've ever heard, Roxas lets out a huge explosion of laughter. It takes me by so much surprise that soon I'm having a fit along with him. We chortle and guffaw and cry from laughing until we almost forget what even made us crack up in the first place.

When we finally compose ourselves, I feel so refreshed that I let out a huge sigh. Roxas is beaming and he leans back comfortably into the couch. Naminé walks in, smiling but looking very confused.

"Did I just miss something…?"

Roxas and I exchange glances. "Um…I…I'm not sure," I admit. "We were just talking."

"Kairi wants to play Candyland," Roxas chuckles.

I blush slightly. "What? Not for real…"

Naminé frowns. "I don't think we have that game. We have Scrabble though!"

I shrug. "Sounds good to me!" I follow Naminé to her room to get the game.

"Careful!" Roxas calls after me. "She's a smart kid! She's amazing at that game!"

"Oh, top of the class, huh?" I glance over at her.

She shrugs bashfully. "Well, third percentile…"

"Pfft! You genius!" I playfully shove her shoulder. "I was, like, ninety-seventh!"

We reach Naminé's room and she pushes the door open. I gape. Every wall is absolutely lined with stuffed animals. They range from finger puppet-sized to four-feet tall, from Chihuahuas to chimpanzees.

"I've…always kinda loved stuffed animals," Naminé says, twiddling her fingers. "I kinda collect them." She grins awkwardly and strides over to her closet to get the games out. I look around at all the plushies but my eyes fall on her bed. There, sitting by her pillow, is the blue rabbit I bought her ten years ago.

"Naminé…is that…?"

"Huh?" She turns around with a stack of games in her arms. "Oh, Bobo? Yup, that's him. The prized stuffed animal in my collection. The one that started it all." She gives her Naminé smile, just like the first time she laid eyes on him.

The rest of the night is probably the greatest one I've had in a long time. We stay up well past midnight, playing and talking and laughing like the old best friends that we are. And all I can think to myself is that, somehow, we're all here and everything worked out.

Maybe we're all just living and dying, so we better make the most of the time we have.


End file.
